Responding to the results of the latest fire safety tests on systems of cladding and insulation and an independent review of building regulations, Lord Porter, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:
“Of the high-rise blocks affected by these latest fire safety tests, nine are owned by Salford Council which continues to work hard to remove and replace the cladding system on these tower blocks and reassure residents about safety - as it has done ever since the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The rest of the affected buildings are all owned by housing associations, private and other landlords.”
“Councils will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure our residents are all safe in their homes. All of the 16 councils which own blocks with different combinations of ACM cladding and insulation on them have already carried out fire safety checks, implemented precautionary measures where necessary and begun reviewing or replacing cladding materials on those blocks.”
“While councils are getting on with doing what they need to do, significant concerns remain about the financial implications. The Government needs to commit to meeting exceptional costs for councils arising from any major remedial work, such as the removal and replacement of cladding system.”
“It is clear that the tragedy at Grenfell Tower has exposed a systemic failure of the current system of building regulation. With test fails on buildings owned by a range of landlords across the country, we are pleased the Government has accepted our call to begin an urgent and immediate review of building regulations. Local government must play a central role in this review from the outset.”
“We also continue to call on the Building Research Establishment and the industry to release results of previous safety tests, including desktop studies. Everything must be out in the open and this needs to happen as soon as possible.”