A FIRE authority member has condemned the decision to replace the roof at the fire-wrecked Fulford Place flats with a similar design.

Coun Ken King, who is one of City of York Council's representatives on North Yorkshire Fire Authority, said that while the roof met legal requirements, he thought the developer should use a different design.

The controversial "sandwich panel" construction presented firefighters with difficulties during last May's blaze, when they could not get at the flames to put them out.

Chiefs said their crews might need to be retrained and may even need specialised equipment to fight future fires.

"I'm disappointed that the developers have decided to put it back as it was. I would have thought with the concerns raised, they would have put on a different roof," said Coun King.

"If I were living in one of those properties, I would be fearful.

"I don't think we have had enough experience of these type of roofs and I'm concerned an accident like this could happen again."

York fire chief Graham Buckle said that while the Fire Brigade would prefer to see a different type of roof installed, it did comply with the legal requirements.

Coun King said: "The minimum standards are just not good enough and we should be learning from our mistakes."

The inferno at the flats complex on May 13, last year, sparked controversy after an investigation raised serious questions over the construction of the roof, which had not been separated by compartment walls.

About 60 householders were displaced as a result of the blaze, and many of them have raised concerns about the roof.

Nail technician Kate McCarthy, 33, was forced to move out of Fulford Place after her flat was severely damaged.

Now living in Wheldrake with her 14-year-old daughter, Fran, she said: "When I was told by the site manager that a sandwich panel roof was going back on the building I just couldn't believe it.

"My daughter has already said that she doesn't want to move back into the house when it's finished and I can't say I blame her. It's frightening to think what might happen if the same roof goes back on."

Mr Buckle said: "While we would prefer to see a different roof construction, we can't legally enforce it. We would reassure residents that we have been working closely with the council's building control officers and we both agree that it meets building regulations."

In the wake of an investigation into the blaze, City of York Council chiefs called on the Government to tighten up its building regulations.

The council began compiling a database of building materials to help firefighters tackle future blazes - in a scheme believed to be the first of its kind in Britain

Phil Parker, the council's principal building control surveyor, said: "We are inspecting the building work very closely. I would feel safe living under one of these roofs."

Ian Morris, for Taylor Woodrow, which built the flats, said: "The new roof is a composite of various elements that satisfy the building and fire authority regulations.

"Although not exactly the same as the original, it does include a sandwich panel structure which conforms with the most stringent regulations."

He said it was hoped the first wave of occupants could move back by the end of May.

What some of the flats' residents said

Doreen Williams, 61, said: "It is very worrying. You just don't know what's going to happen. It's taken away my faith in the whole complex. It all looks very good, but it seems to be cosmetic."

Edward Potts, 24, said: "The flats did seem to go up pretty quickly and that is a concern. Building regulations are there for a reason and a lot of experienced people have put them there. Maybe we should trust that."

Rachael Adams, 26: "We haven't been told too much about what happened with the fire to be honest. It would be good to have some more information about it".

Updated: 08:59 Saturday, January 07, 2006