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Glasgow Council reveals privately owned tower blocks may have ACM cladding
Glasgow City Council has revealed that more than 50 privately owned tower blocks in the city may contain aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding.
Council leader Susan Aitken said in a letter to Bob Doris, convener of the Local Government and Communities Committee, that 57 domestic properties in excess of 18 metres tall could include ACM and the Scottish Government has offered help to “expedite” an investigation into the cladding.
Pauline McNeill, Labour MSP for Glasgow, asked an urgent question in Scottish Parliament on 21 September, saying it was “shocking” that residents had not been informed about the possibility of ACM in their buildings sooner.
In four out of seven government-commissioned tests since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, ACM cladding systems failed to meet fire safety requirements.
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Ms Aitken said information the council had about the materials used on Glasgow’s tower blocks was “not yet a complete picture” – and for this reason it had not been made public.
Her letter, sent yesterday, added: “I have instructed officers in the council to take the Scottish Government’s offer of assistance to expedite this investigation… and I believe the additional information the Scottish Government seeks and which Glasgow City Council holds can be provided by the end of next week.
“I have also instructed officers to liaise immediately with the local Scottish Fire and Rescue Service around the list provided to the Ministerial Working Group [on building and fire safety] earlier this month, to discuss any support they can provide in conducting initial inspections of the properties.”
Scottish local government and housing minister Kevin Stewart also wrote to Mr Doris this week, saying Glasgow City Council had earlier this summer declined an offer of government support to compile information about cladding on private properties.
“The Ministerial Working Group discussed the information returned by Glasgow at its meeting on 8 September and agreed that the information was not sufficiently clear to be able to provide the necessary level of public reassurance,” read Mr Stewart’s letter.
“Glasgow City Council accepted the Scottish Government’s offer of assistance on 20 September. We will therefore now work with Glasgow City Council to fully investigate and scrutinise the information they have shared so that they can reassure the owners and occupants of private high-rise domestic buildings that they are safe.”
Scottish communities secretary Angela Constance said: “It is important to recognise the responsibilities of Glasgow City Council. The council has made clear that the information presented to the government was not a complete picture. I’m pleased to say the council has accepted the offer of the Scottish Government to help.”
UK government communities secretary Sajid Javid recently told the House of Commons that in strong winds cladding had “failed” on some blocks in Glasgow.
Glasgow City Council recently changed from a Labour-led administration to SNP minority.
Update: at 3.15pm, 22.09.17 This story was updated to specify that the tower blocks with possible ACM cladding are privately owned.
