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Government orders landlords to carry out tower block cladding tests
The government has told social landlords to carry out tests of cladding on tower blocks they own.
The Grenfell Tower fire last week tore up the outside of the building, leading to widespread speculation that the cladding on the building might have hastened the spread of the fire.
In a letter, Melanie Dawes, permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), wrote there is “significant anxiety” among tenants about whether the tower blocks they live in are safe.
She added while the exact reasons for the speed of the spread of the fire are “yet to be determined”, the DCLG has decided additional tests of any cladding on the outside of tower blocks should be undertaken.
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Social landlords are being asked to identify whether any panels used in a new build or refurbishment project are made of aluminium composite material (ACM).
Planning documents have revealed that composite aluminium and polyester-coated panels were used on the outside of Grenfell Tower.
Social landlords have until the end of today to report back to the DCLG on how many tower blocks they own and if any have panels made of aluminium composite material.
From tomorrow landlords should check samples of ACM panels to check they are of “limited combustibility” and send samples to the DCLG.
ACM is a type of flat panel that is made up of two thin aluminium sheets secured to a non-aluminium core. The panels can have a painted or metallic finish.
The Homes and Communities Agency is offering support in testing cladding.
Ms Dawes wrote: “It is important to stress that ACM cladding is not of itself dangerous, but it is important that the right type is used.”
The government will cover the cost of testing any ACM cladding and has set up a testing process, Ms Dawes wrote. This is also available to other residential landlords.
Ms Dawes has also reminded councils that they should be “well advanced” in checking they have “robust” fire risk assessments for their housing. She added assessments that complied with the fire safety order are “unlikely” to have included a building’s cladding.