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Landlords pause cladding removal due to ‘unclear’ government advice
Two Greater Manchester housing associations have suspended removal of aluminium composite material (ACM) panels from high-rise blocks because of “unclear” government guidance.
Salix Homes, formed in 2015 from a council stock transfer of 8,500 homes, began removing ACM cladding at eight tower blocks after a number of panels failed the government’s fire testing regime instigated after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
But removals have now been stopped because of “unclear” advice from government and “conflicting information about the need to remove the panels”.
Sue Sutton, executive director of operations at Salix Homes, said: “Investigatory work began last week to remove cladding from our affected blocks, which has been temporarily replaced with aluminium panels to protect the building and ensure it remains watertight.
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“However, advice regarding the removal of cladding is now unclear and there is conflicting information about the need to remove the panels.”
She added that replacement work would only continue when the association obtained clearer guidance from authorities over the “best and safest solution” to replace the panels. She said other housing providers across the country were also suspending their panel works.
City West Housing Trust, a 14,800-home association, started removal work last week as a precautionary measure after ACM panels from all of its 12 blocks failed the government’s fire safety test. Test results are pending on five further blocks.
City West Housing Trust said it made the decision after the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) issued advice on 30 June that associations needed to “consider the impact” on overall fire safety if panels were removed.
A City West Housing Trust statement read: “The advice around ACM panels and cladding systems is now somewhat unclear and until this is clarified we have taken the decision to suspend the removal of affected ACM cladding. We will not be starting the removal on any further blocks.
“This will remain the case until we have clearer guidance on the kinds of panels we can use as a replacement and we are certain that removing the affected panels is the best and safest option.”
Other social landlords in the Manchester area, including Manchester One and Pendleton Together, are continuing to remove cladding from their blocks.
The DCLG advice issued last week said that if a landlord chooses to take down cladding, “care should be taken” to consider the fire risk if the insulation was left in place.
This echoes advice given by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to some landlords that panels should not be removed without also removing the insulation, unless it has been fire tested.
