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Social landlords hold off removal of potentially dangerous cladding until government test decisions
Social landlords are waiting for results from government tests before taking action to remove potentially dangerous cladding from 24 blocks, they have told Inside Housing.
Almost two years after the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people in June 2017, the government has not tested any cladding material other than the kind used on the tower. This includes high-pressure laminate (HPL) cladding, which burns 115 times hotter than non-combustible products.
Inside Housing has identified 34 high-rise blocks owned by social landlords that are clad in HPL, a material widely blamed for the external spread of flames during the Lakanal House fire, which killed six people in 2009.
Network Homes, Swan Housing, Govan Housing Association, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Falkirk District Council, which between them manage 24 blocks clad in HPL, have said they will review the safety of these blocks after the government publishes its test results.
Meanwhile, L&Q, Hyde Housing, Enfield Council, Notting Hill Genesis, Clarion, Metropolitan Thames Valley, Barking & Dagenham Council and Newham Council have all decided to remove HPL cladding from 10 blocks.
Jake Le Page, building safety taskforce lead at Hyde, said that “independent fire experts” had advised them to remove and replace cladding.
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Inside Housing has repeatedly asked government why it has not tested non-ACM cladding since summer 2017, when it had already received numerous non-ACM samples from social landlords.
Bespoke tests on some non-ACM cladding began in April and results are expected in late summer. The government is also planning a large-scale test for HPL but has yet to set a date for it.
This test is mired in controversy after it was revealed that the government will test Class B-rated HPL panels with non-combustible Rockwool insulation. This is despite industry sources telling Inside Housing that up to 80% of HPL cladding systems use combustible insulation and that most panels have the much lower fire rating of Class D.
A Falkirk Council spokesperson said: “The council has 11 tower blocks where HPL panels are installed. The council will consider in full the findings of [government] tests when released and will always respond in full to guidance and professional advice to ensure the safety of our residents.”
Sean Clerkin, campaigns co-ordinator at the Scottish Tenants Organisation, told Inside Housing: “This is unacceptable. This is a scandal. They’re playing with people’s lives. For fire safety, the HPL should be taken out and non-combustible replacements put in.”
Network Homes owns five blocks in Wembley known as Grand Union Heights, which Inside Housing can reveal are also clad in HPL.
The fire risk assessments for all five blocks, which Network has published on its website, reveal that the 20,000-home association has cancelled its ‘stay put’ policy and advised residents to evacuate in case of fire.
According to the assessment, this is due to “the identification of poor construction issues”.
A spokesperson for Network said it would “review the outcome of any relevant government tests”.
A spokesperson for Sandwell Council, which owns four blocks clad in HPL, added that it was “monitoring the tests”, while a spokesperson for Swan Housing, which manages three HPL-clad blocks on the Bow Cross estate in Tower Hamlets, said the association “will take whatever action is necessary to comply with the latest government recommendations”.
A spokesperson for Govan Housing, which owns an HPL-clad block in Glasgow, said that if government tests found cladding to be inadequate, it would take “appropriate action”.
Full responses from social landlords
Network Homes
“The safety of our residents is our top priority. In line with government advice note 14 we are in the process of carrying out in-depth assessments of all our buildings over 18m in height with external wall systems.
“Where the outcome of these raises safety concerns, we will put in place additional measures to ensure our residents are safe whilst any remedial work is undertaken. We will review the outcome of any relevant government tests to our buildings as soon as they are made available to us and act accordingly.”
Sandwell Council
“We are monitoring the tests being carried out on materials and will act on those if there are any developments.”
Falkirk District Council
“The council has 11 tower blocks where HPL panels are installed. These panels complied with the building regulation standards when installed.
“We are aware of the on-going programme of government testing and the review being undertaken by the Scottish government. The council will consider in full the findings of these tests when released and will always respond in full to guidance and professional advice to ensure the safety of our residents.”
Govan Housing
“Govan Housing Association owns numbers 17, 19 & 21 Golspie Street and we also provide a factoring service to numbers 7,9,11 & 15. These flats are indeed clad in HPL Trespa Meteon Panels and Verspanel particle board.
“Generally these HPL boards are not considered to be as fire hazardous as the thermoplastic materials such as PVC and styrenes etc such as those used in Grenfell and we are satisfied that all cladding in situ at the Golspie Street development is safe and meets all current standards.
“If as a result of any future testing carried out by the UK government the type of HPL currently in situ at Golspie Street was found to be inadequate with regards to fire safety we would of course take appropriate action with the safety of our tenants and residents being paramount.”
Hyde
“Upon further investigation into the HPL cladding at our buildings in Bermondsey, we found that there were some issues with the original installation and a risk of fire spreading. We took advice from our independent fire experts and are now removing and replacing the cladding with a safer alternative.”
Swan
“Swan Housing Association views the safety of its residents as paramount so we are currently undertaking a programme of Type 4 FRA’s to all our properties 5 storeys and above including all of our supported housing properties (even lower rise) and those on our Bow Cross Estate and will take whatever action is necessary to comply with the latest government recommendations.
“The FRAs currently in place for Bow Cross have confirmed that all appropriate fire safety measures are in place, with no actions outstanding.”
Redrow (for a block owned by Barking & Dagenham Council)
“The cladding panels themselves are still in the process of being fully tested but we have committed to replacing any defective insulation panels with the help of the contractors involved.
“Regardless of these ongoing technical discussions, we're pleased to bring residents peace of mind and to progress with appropriate works.”
Enfield Council
“Prior to the Grenfell Tower tragedy the Council had already put in place plans to remove poorly installed cladding from two blocks. Following recent changes to government guidance we are in the process of removing cladding from a third block and the work is expected to finish in the summer.”
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.
