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Demolishing high-rise council towers ‘preferable’, says housing minister
Housing minister Kit Malthouse has voiced support for the demolition of council tower blocks built in the 1960s and 1970s, in a parliamentary debate on fire safety.
Demolishing high-rise council towers “preferable”, says housing minister #ukhousingMr Malthouse made the comments in the House of Commons today in response to a question from fellow Conservative MP Mark Pawsey, who represents Rugby and Bulkington.
Mr Pawsey said: “For a variety of reasons, local authorities with high-rise social housing are in the process of taking them down, including Rugby Borough Council, which is about to demolish two blocks at Biart Place where there are structural concerns and replace them with a larger number of conventional housing units.
“Does the minister agree this is a process that should be accelerated?”
In response, Mr Malthouse said: “It’s typical of the honourable gentleman to fight for improvements for his constituents and I agree with him that very often it is the case that buildings – I don’t know what period the buildings are – that were built in the ’60s and ’70s present more challenges to refurbish than they do to demolish and replace, and that in doing so, considering a different formulation – streets, squares, low-rise, high density – may well be preferable to high-rise.”
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Biart Place in Rugby was built using the ‘large panel system’ (LPS) method of construction, which was thrown into the spotlight after the partial collapse of Ronan Point in 1968.
However, these blocks make up a fraction of an estimated 4,000 tower blocks across the country used for social housing.
Shortly before fielding Mr Pawsey’s question, the minister responded to Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham, about two LPS blocks in Hammersmith & Fulham.
Mr Hands said residents of Hartopp Point and Lannoy Point are “extremely concerned” about rumours that the blocks are set for demolition and called for transparency from the Labour-run council.
Mr Malthouse said the situation sounded “alarming”, adding: “Where people’s homes are concerned, whether it’s safety or the future of their homes, or indeed demolition, I would urge all those in authority to be as transparent as possible.
“It can be extremely debilitating, concerning and worrying for any resident to have their future, particularly the future of their home, mired in uncertainty and I hope he’s able to get the clarity that his residents need.”
Hammersmith and Fulham Council said it has canvassed residents thoroughly to update them on its plans for the blocks.
During the session – sparked by an urgent question tabled by shadow secretary John Healey about progress to remove dangerous cladding from high rises – Mr Malthouse also revealed that tests on non-aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding are yet to be carried out.
Inside Housing reported in September 2017 that the government was set to commission safety tests on non-ACM cladding and has previously highlighted the potential dangers of other kinds of external building insulation.
Mr Malthouse said the government has “commissioned the Building Research Establishment to conduct a testing programme on non-ACM materials and we expect that testing to start shortly”.
Update: at 17.13pm 23/01/19 the story was updated to include a response from Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
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