Grenfell-Style Cladding Removed From Just 15% Of High-Rises As Owners ‘Refuse’ To Act

In November, councils were given government backing to strip ACM cladding from private residential buildings.

A ban on using combustible cladding on new high-rise homes – as well as schools, care homes and student accommodation – came into force on December 21.

Fears over the slow pace in removing the cladding, more than 18 months after the disaster in west London, was raised during a Commons debate this week.

Steve Reed, Labour MP for Croydon North and a shadow minster, who called the debate, said: “There are still thousands of terrified residents living in blocks with the same kind of cladding, or a very similar kind of cladding, as that which went up in flames at Grenfell Tower.

“There are still 56 private blocks of flats around the country – that is 56 – that have no clear plan in place to remove and replace it. People are left living in fear.”

He fears the ‘ban’ on cladding is not total as it does not include hotels.

In response, housing minster Kit Malthouse down-played fears over safety the 56 high-rises by saying that “100% of those buildings have temporary measures in place” certified by the local fire service as appropriate.

“He says that thousands of people are living in terror in blocks, but that should not be the case, on the basis that every local fire and rescue service has visited, inspected and agreed temporary measures with every residential building over 18 metres in height that has this cladding, and they are going back to check and monitor to make sure that they are in place,” he said. 

Malthouse added that 56 private buildings yet to start remediation had fallen from more than 200 buildings last June.