More high rise residential buildings in the UK have been found to have the kind of cladding that has caused concern since the deadly Grenfell tower block disaster.
Figures released by the Ministry Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) say that as of the 10 January some 312 buildings have Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding installed or previously installed was 312, an increase of 16 since the last data was published in November 2017.
Of those, 299 have ACM cladding systems that the Expert Panel advise are unlikely to meet current Building Regulations guidance and therefore present fire hazards on buildings over 18 meters, an increase of 15 since November 2017.
Over half of confirmed cases are social housing buildings managed by either local authorities or housing associations where there are 168 buildings over 18 meters with confirmed ACM. Of these, 160 are unlikely to meet current Building Regulations guidance.
In England, 63 local authority areas contain at least one residential building over 18 meters or public building with confirmed ACM cladding systems that are unlikely to meet current Building Regulation guidance.
‘We are closely monitoring the remediation progress of all buildings with ACM cladding that require it. Building owners have been given advice on interim fire safety measures they should take pending remedial action being completed,’ said a statement from the MHCLG.
‘All building owners have also been advised to ensure their local Fire and Rescue Service has visited to complete a fire safety audit of their building, and that they have implemented the recommended interim measures,’ it added.
The Ministry advises that compliance for cladding systems on buildings over 18 meters means that either all elements in the cladding system should be of limited combustibility, or the whole system, tested in a large scale test, must pass the BS8414 test classified to BR135.
The MHCLG has also revealed that the wrapping and scaffolding work around the tower is estimated to complete by the end of May and Dame Judith Hackitt’s main report on building regulations and fire safety is due to be published this Spring.
Her interim report declared that the current regulatory system for ensuring fire safety in relation to high rise and complex buildings is not fit for purpose and needs to change. She stated that there needs to be a shift in the culture of the construction industry, making it more responsible for long term safety.
The report also said that clarity of roles and responsibilities is poor. Even where there are requirements for key activities to take place across design, construction and maintenance, it is not always clear who has responsibility for making it happen. She said residents must be listened to and there needs to be a clear, quick and effective route for their concerns to be raised and addressed.
She also said that compliance, enforcement and sanctions processes are too weak and despite many who demonstrate good practice, the means of assessing and ensuring the competency of key people throughout the system is inadequate. She added that there is often no differentiation in competency requirements for those working on high rise and complex buildings.
Meanwhile, the new Housing Minister Dominic Raab has said he wants to meet with representatives of the Grenfell community.
