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Camden Council claims cladding was ‘not to the standard requested’
Camden Council is urgently tearing cladding down from five tower blocks after it discovered polyethylene-cored cladding was used on its building, despite it claiming to have ordered more fire-resistant material.
The council had cladding independently tested by the Building Research Establishment this week in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster which is believed to have killed up to 79 people.
This testing revealed five tower blocks which make up the Chalcots Estate have aluminium panels with a polyethylene core, the same cladding used at Grenfell Tower.
However, Georgia Gould, leader of Camden Council, said the council had requested fire-resistant rock wool insulation "designed to prevent the spread of fire and fire-resistant sealant between floors".
She said: "The new results from the laboratory show that the outer cladding panels themselves are made up of aluminium panels with a polyethylene core. Therefore the panels that were fitted were not to the standard that we had commissioned. In light of this, we will be informing the contractor that we will be taking urgent legal advice."
She added: "While we are clear that our cladding design and insulation significantly differs to that at Grenfell Tower, the external cladding panels did not satisfy our independent laboratory testing or the high standards we set for contractors."
The council said the design arrangement has previously contained a fire at a flat in the Taplow Tower block, part of the Chalcots Estate, in 2012.
Camden has confirmed the contractor for the refurbishment was Rydon, with Harley Facades sub-contracted to carry out the cladding – the same pairing used for Grenfell Tower.
In a statement Ray Bailey, managing director of Harley Facades, said: "These works were as described in the contractual specification and approved in the usual process for construction and building control by the London Borough of Camden."
Rydon has been contacted for comment and has not responded.
The council said the external cladding panels "did not satisfy our independent laboratory testing or the high standards we set for contractors".
Until all the panels have been removed the council will carry out 24-hour fire safety patrols on the estate’s corridors and "enhanced fire safety checks".
