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Fire at housing association block involved HPL cladding
A fire that broke out at a south London block last month involved a high-pressure laminate (HPL) cladding system similar to that used on Lakanal House, Southwark, and The Cube in Bolton, it has been confirmed.
Two flats and the exterior cladding system were damaged in the recent blaze, at an Orbit Group block in Thornton Heath, Croydon, called Crystal Court.
An Orbit spokesperson has confirmed to Inside Housing that the cladding system on the building at Crystal Court was Trespa Meteon, a form of HPL.
The cladding, which is made of wood-based layers pressed together at high temperatures, has come under scrutiny following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 with experts previously warning that “the next Grenfell” would be in an HPL-clad building.
Inside Housing understands that some residents of Crystal Court are yet to return to their homes with Orbit currently replacing fire doors in the building.
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Trespa Meteon was also used on The Cube in Bolton, where a huge fire in 2019 was reported to have spread via the external wall.
And the same product was installed on Lakanal House in Southwark at the time a huge fire killed six people in 2009.
When the fire broke out in Crystal Court in late April, around 20 people were evacuated from the block as well as a further 55 from the adjoining leisure centre.
At the time an Orbit spokesperson told Inside Housing: “The fire was external to the building and although an area of cladding was damaged, the building’s fire management systems worked as planned and prevented significant damage to the main structure or to the building’s insulation.”
Pre-Grenfell government guidance permitted the use of more fire-resistant HPL products on high rises in certain combinations above 18 metres and all versions were permitted on buildings below 18 metres.
However, the government later said that HPL cladding should be removed from buildings if it is combined with combustible insulation.
Mortgage providers are also expected to ask prospective homebuyers for an External Wall System 1 (EWS1) form if the property they are looking to buy has HPL cladding on it, regardless of height.
Update at 12.05pm, 14.05.21: story edited to clarify that fire doors in Crystal Court are currently being replaced following the fire and not fitted for the first time.
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