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Fire survivors call for ban on Grenfell-style cladding
Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have called on the government to ban Grenfell-style cladding from being used on people’s homes.
Ahead of this afternoon’s debate on the Grenfell Tower fire in Westminster Hall, the survivors group Grenfell United issued a statement asking that the government release money to take dangerous cladding off people’s homes and implement a ban.
The call came as Inside Housing revealed that Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of building regulations is not expected to call for a ban on combustible cladding or ‘desktop studies’, a controversial way of using combustible cladding without testing it. Sources who have been briefed by the government say the review will focus more on industry practice.
At 4.30pm today, MPs from all parties are expected to attend a debate on the Grenfell Tower fire. It was originally intended as a debate on Grenfell United’s petition to ask the prime minister to add extra panel members to the Grenfell inquiry to represent survivors.
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Theresa May, having previously rejected this request, U-turned last week and said she would appoint two extra panel members.
Natasha Elcock, a member of Grenfell United who survived the fire, said: “We campaign so hard because we don’t want anyone else to ever experience the suffering we have. So we are calling on the government to commit now to implementing any recommendations the inquiry will make in full.
“If the government had acted on previous recommendations following the Lakanal House fire the Grenfell fire would not have happened. Truth needs to lead to policy change.
“But we can’t just wait for the inquiry findings. We know dangerous cladding costs lives. That’s why we’re asking the government to release money to take this cladding off people’s homes and ban it from ever being used again.”
During today’s debate, Grenfell United and other campaigning groups and supporters will lead a rally in Parliament Square.
Then, at 7pm, the community and supporters will carry out their monthly silent march starting at Notting Hill Methodist Church, in sight of Grenfell Tower.
The Hackitt Review
Photo: Tom Pilston/Eyevine
Dame Judith Hackitt’s (above) interim report on building safety, released in December 2017, was scathing about some of the industry’s practices.
Although the full report is not due to be published until later this year, the former Health and Safety Executive chair has already highlighted a culture of cost-cutting and is likely to call for a radical overhaul of current regulations in an interim report.
Dame Hackitt’s key recommendations and conclusions include:
- A call for the simplification of building regulations and guidelines to prevent misapplication
- Clarification of roles and responsibilities in the construction industry
- Giving those who commission, design and construct buildings primary responsibility that they are fit for purpose
- Greater scope for residents to raise concerns
- A formal accreditation system for anyone involved in fire prevention on high-rise blocks
- A stronger enforcement regime backed up with powerful sanctions
The Paper Trail: The Failure of Building Regulations
Read our in-depth investigation into how building regulations have changed over time and how this may have contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire:
What are desktop studies, and why are people concerned?
Building regulations say cladding systems which contain combustible insulation must be shown to meet specific standards based on “full scale test data”
A ‘desktop study’ is a means of making an assumption about whether or not a cladding system would meet these standards without actually testing it.
It involves using data from previous tests of the materials in different combinations to make assumptions about how it would perform in a test.
This is not specifically provided for in the current guide to building regulations, but the government believes they are loosely drafted to an extent which makes it permissible. It plans to redraft the guidance to include specific rules on the use of desktop studies for the first time.
The alternatives to a desktop study are full scale testing or not using combustible materials.
People are concerned about the process because it is based on assumption: at least one system cleared through a desktop study has failed a full scale test.
This is important for fire safety because mistakes may mean unsafe cladding systems being cleared for use on tall buildings.
Never Again campaign
Inside Housing has launched a campaign to improve fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire
Never Again: campaign asks
Inside Housing is calling for immediate action to implement the learning from the Lakanal House fire, and a commitment to act – without delay – on learning from the Grenfell Tower tragedy as it becomes available.
LANDLORDS
- Take immediate action to check cladding and external panels on tower blocks and take prompt, appropriate action to remedy any problems
- Update risk assessments using an appropriate, qualified expert.
- Commit to renewing assessments annually and after major repair or cladding work is carried out
- Review and update evacuation policies and ‘stay put’ advice in light of risk assessments, and communicate clearly to residents
GOVERNMENT
- Provide urgent advice on the installation and upkeep of external insulation
- Update and clarify building regulations immediately – with a commitment to update if additional learning emerges at a later date from the Grenfell inquiry
- Fund the retrofitting of sprinkler systems in all tower blocks across the UK (except where there are specific structural reasons not to do so)
We will submit evidence from our research to the Grenfell public inquiry.
The inquiry should look at why opportunities to implement learning that could have prevented the fire were missed, in order to ensure similar opportunities are acted on in the future.
