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Updated 5.50pm
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has confirmed samples of cladding taken so far from 60 high-rise buildings across the UK have failed safety tests.
A number of areas are affected, with the 60 high rises spread out over 25 local authorities.
Tests were ordered to be carried out on over 600 buildings in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The Department of Communities and Local Government said in a statement that all high rises tested so far had failed fire safety tests.
Combustibility test
Earlier, Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said the cladding from 34 high-rise buildings in 17 local authorities failed the combustibility test.
“All landlords and fire and rescue services for those local authorities have been alerted to the results and we are in touch with all 17 areas to support and monitor follow-up action,” he said.
“The landlords for all the affected buildings are taking action to inform tenants and implement the interim safety measures needed. Areas affected include the city of Manchester, Camden, Plymouth, Hounslow, Portsmouth, Barnet and Brent.
The fact that all samples so far have failed the tests underlines the value of the testing programme we have set up with the Building Research Establishment to get samples checked properly in the laboratories.
Javid said it is very important for local authorities and housing associations to continue to submit such samples as a matter of urgency. The testing programme can test 100 samples a day and the government said further capacity could be provided.
Local authorities are contacting fire and rescue services to conduct fire safety inspections of the affected tower blocks. Javid said a failure in testing of the cladding does not necessarily mean that a building will have to be evacuated.
The decision to evacuate four towers in Camden was made because the failed cladding test was “compounded by multiple other fire safety failures which the fire inspection team found within the buildings”.
He said the country should not be in the position where buildings have such cladding on them.
“How this occurred – and preventing this from happening again – is likely to be a key question for the public inquiry.”
With reporting from Sean Murray
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29 going on 49. You are only young once pal.
@Jay:
That’s the only type who would keep a money diary!!
Have you noticed how many accountants and money managers come up?
Maybe if the journal offered a free bet to write one of these diaries we’d all finally get the account of the young life of the hard drinking tearaway whose rent this week is entirely dependent on the 3.30 at Kempton that we all secretly hope to read whenever we open one of these articles.
@George Bowling:
Haha, it would have to be a lot more than one free bet to get someone like that to keep an accurate money diary
Youth is wasted on the young.
@Laney Sinc: he is a very rich one and saving a pretty penny
Well done. I think you’re doing great.
Woke up, got out of bed, dragged the comb across my head. Made my way downstairs and drank a cup and looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat, made the bus in seconds flat.
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke and somebody spoke and I went into a dream.
I can only assume the engineer is either Elec, Mech or similar. His remuneration shows the exploitation large companies get away with. You can be guaranteed they are charging the client double if not more for his role. Of course I’m guessing but this would be typical of construction companies. After all the years studying being an engineer is no longer seen as it was once before.
@Thomas Meaney: He could grow a pair and go work for himself and double his salary immediately minimum.
no kids, carreer oriented and no life
@Dominic Leleu: People don’t seem to realise you pay for selfish choices at the end in old age when loneliness and isolation kick in.
have your say