Wandsworth residents met on Sunday to discuss the council’s new plan to install sprinklers in tower blocks, amid concerns some leaseholders may have to pay for the installations.

At the meeting, organised by Wandsworth Labour, residents raised concerns at the lack of consultation by the council.

The plans to retrofit sprinklers in each of the borough’s 100 tower blocks will affect 6,500 residents and concerns have been raised that leaseholders in the blocks may be required to contribute to the costs.

Cllr Simon Hogg, Leader of Wandsworth Labour, said: “It was fantastic to see so many residents, from across Wandsworth, come together last night at our public meeting for those impacted by the Council’s sprinkler installation plans.

“With almost 6,500 residents in Wandsworth affected, we want to ensure a proper consultation - currently, the Conservative Council is ignoring residents’ views.

“The Council needs to take note and listen to the safety concerns of local residents, and where sprinklers are essential, the Government needs to pick up the bill.”

Wandsworth’s cabinet member for housing Cllr Kim Caddy said: “In the immediate aftermath of the terrible events at Grenfell we announced proposals to spend £24m fitting sprinklers in all council-owned tower blocks of ten storeys or above.

"This would bring these council-owned high-rise properties up to the same safety standard as all newly-built residential blocks of a similar height where sprinklers have been mandatory since 2007.

“Our approach has been backed by the London Fire Brigade, RIBA, The Mayor and a cross-party group of select committee MPs.

"There are of course many instances when consultation is appropriate, but it has never been that way on fire safety.

“If these questions were left up to a ballot, with some blocks agreeing to have sprinklers fitted but others choosing to reject them, it would mean identical tower blocks having different levels of protection.

“Such a two-tier safety approach would represent a complete abdication of our responsibility as a landlord and freeholder and could, heaven forbid, risk further tragedy.

“We hear what some of the leaseholders are saying which is why we have proactively sought a ruling from the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal so that the legal position is clarified, but what we have already said is that if they are required to make any contribution, this would be spread over a number of years on an interest free basis.”