Cladding on nine tower blocks in Salford must be removed following safety concerns raised after the Grenfell Tower fire because it is the “right and moral thing to do”, the city’s mayor said on Friday.
Salford was taking “immediate steps” to address safety concerns, he said, with residents in the recently refurbished buildings told that the aluminium composite material (ACM) would be taken down.
Tests are continuing into whether the ACM cladding on the nine social housing blocks in Pendleton contains the same flammable material as Grenfell Tower, but the city took the pre-emptive decision to remove the cladding, said Paul Dennett, Salford’s mayor.
“The disaster in Grenfell Tower has raised questions about the safety of tower blocks nationally,” he said. “Government tests are under way, but it is already clear that the aluminium composite cladding on our blocks must be removed and we are pressing ahead with our plans. We take the safety of our residents very seriously and are taking immediate steps. Replacing the cladding is a complex operation, and Pendleton Together [which manages the blocks on behalf of the council] will identify contractors to begin the job.
“Additional fire safety measures have also been put in place by Pendleton Together.”
Dennett said removing the cladding was the “right and moral thing to do”. He added: “There will be no waiting around in Salford whilst there are any questions about the safety of our residents.”
The nine blocks were refurbished as part of a £650m private finance initiative to build and refurbish homes in the area.
A letter to residents, seen by the Guardian, said the cladding would be removed “as quickly and efficiently as possible”.
It added: “In the meantime we want residents to be assured that irrespective of the material the cladding is made of, there are measures in place within the apartment blocks that are designed to prevent the spread of fire.”
Here's the letter to Salford residents confirming ACM cladding to be removed following Grenfell fire concerns pic.twitter.com/WhNHz5uNC9
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) June 23, 2017
John Smith, a resident of the 22-storey flagship tower, Thorn Court, said he was glad the cladding was being removed but said it raised serious questions about whether it was safe in the first place.
He said: “There has to be some concern about whether there was any truth about if it was safe when it was put up.
“I find it amazing they’ve done these tests but said irrespective of the results they’re taking it down, probably at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
Steve Close, the chief executive of Pendleton Together’s parent company, Together Housing, said: “Along with Salford city council, we put the safety of our residents first. We support the decision that Salford city council have made and are working very hard with them to reassure our residents at this time.” A Pendleton Together spokeswoman said it did not know how much it would cost to replace the cladding, adding: “The priority is residents’ safety.”
The decision came after Thorn Court residents demanded answers over what they had described as a “frightening” lack of fire safety procedures.
Tenants told the Guardian they had not felt safe in the building since the multimillion-pound refurbishment last year.
Smith, a former head of Thorn Court’s residents’ association, said: “Everyone wants answers. Nineteen residents have told me they want to leave or move to a lower floor, but every single one has said they don’t feel safe now within the building.”
Dozens of residents had signed a petition demanding answers about fire safety.
Dozens of residents here have signed petition outlining concerns about fire safety - and this was before the cladding news today pic.twitter.com/XP3hcc7Ycd
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) June 22, 2017
The petition, addressed to Pendleton Together, questioned why sprinklers had not been fitted in Thorn Court and why there were not fire alarms on every floor. It also asked why there had not been a fire alarm test or an evacuation test in 26 years.
Smith, who started the petition on Tuesday, said he had raised residents’ concerns “more than once” with Pendleton Together’s contractor, Keepmoat, but that most had not been addressed.
Pendleton Together said extended patrols of the buildings would be carried out as a “precautionary safety measure”.
Dawn Lewis, a former security officer, said she had lived in Thorn Court for more than 20 years and there had never been a fire test.
“We just want some honest answers. We want things put into place – instead of just talking, like Theresa May just talks, talking is no good. We need to see something being done,” she said.
“Why is there glass everywhere now? Glass down the staircase, glass floor to ceiling. If there’s a fire that glass will either blow in or blow out. It’s just frightening at the moment. We need things in place and we need them to keep us in the loop to let us know what’s going on.”
Three residents said they were concerned about a new heating system introduced during the refurbishment. It is powered by vents built into the cladding, according to residents.
Angela Morgan, who lives on the 20th floor of Thorn Court, said: “I’m concerned about the vents with the heating system because they’re just holes in the wall. If fumes were coming up here they would come shooting through these vents.”
Michael Hinton, also on the 20th floor, said he was seriously concerned about the evacuation procedure because he used a wheelchair. He said the council should install sprinklers and fire extinguishers in the building. “I think all the tenants need some reassurance now,” he said.
