Every Tower Block Checked So Far Fails Fire Tests

So far every sample of cladding from high-rise buildings that officials have tested has failed tests for combustibility, raising the prospect of many more mass tenant evacuations with hundreds of more buildings still to be checked. As a result of the test findings Salford Council has given the go-ahead to start removing aluminium composite cladding on nine high rise blocks in the Pendleton area of the city. The Government has also stressed that the failure in testing of the cladding would not necessarily mean that a building would have to be evacuated. Local authorities have been told to only consider evacuations where there is the most serious risk. Read more on Construction Enquirer.

Government Orders Landlords To Carry Out Tower Block Cladding Tests

The government has told social landlords to carry out tests of cladding on their tower blocks. 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 from Melanie Dawes, permanent secretary at the CLG, she wrote there is “significant anxiety” from tenants about whether the tower blocks they live in are safe. Read more on Inside Housing.