London’s Camden Council to strip cladding from five towers

Aaron Morby 8 years ago
Share

London’s Camden Council is to remove cladding from five blocks of flats on the Chalcots Estate after test results revealed flammable polyethylene core cladding panels were fitted.

Council says panels fitted were not to the standard it had commissioned
Council says panels fitted were not to the standard it had commissioned

The news comes after Construction Enquirer warned last week that the the block was one of potentially 20 at risk where the Grenfell tower cladding firm had fitted similar systems.

The council also claimed that cladding was “not to the standard that we had commissioned” and is now considering legal action against the contractors.

Rydon and its team completed the £66m refurbishment programme in 2009.

Camden will now strip the cladding system even though a fire in one of the flats in the tower block was successfully contained several years ago.

The council revealed that the same type of aluminium cladding as Grenfell had been used, but unlike Grenfell mineral wool insulation was used rather than Celotex foam insulating board.

Councillor Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council, said: “We have now received the results of independent testing of cladding on Chalcots Estate from the laboratory at the Building Research Establishment.

“The arrangement of the cladding and insulation used on Camden Council’s buildings significantly differs from that on Grenfell Tower.

“It includes fire-resistant rock wool insulation designed to prevent the spread of fire and fire resistant sealant between floors, designed to stop a high-intensity flat fire from spreading to neighbouring flats.

“This arrangement previously contained a fire at a flat in Taplow block in 2012. These are significant and proven arrangements to stop the spread of fire.

“The new results from the laboratory show that the outer cladding panels themselves are made up of aluminium panels with a polyethylene core.

“Therefore the panels that were fitted were not to the standard that we had commissioned. In light of this, we will be informing the contractor that we will be taking urgent legal advice.”

He added: “While we are clear that our cladding design and insulation significantly differs to that at Grenfell Tower, the external cladding panels did not satisfy our independent laboratory testing or the high standards we set for contractors.

“Camden Council has decided it will immediately begin preparing to remove these external cladding panels from the five tower blocks on the Chalcots Estate. Camden Council will do whatever it takes to ensure our residents are reassured about the safety of their homes.

“Until the panels have all been removed, we will carry out 24/7 fire safety patrols on the estate’s corridors to reassure residents and carry out enhanced fire safety checks.”

Latest news

Wates wins fit-out for Manchester First Street Hub

Smartspace arm secures another Government hub deal
15 hours ago

Big trade names dropped in M Group rebrand

Acquisitive group formed from Morrison Utility services in 2016
13 hours ago

Breyer Group files administration notice

Staff hope rival firm could buy assets and save jobs
18 hours ago

Peel Ports reveals winners for £750m framework

18 firms win places on deal: Full list
16 hours ago

Former Severfield director takes helm at Embrace Steel

New CEO Martin Kelly aims to step up expansion of steelwork contractor
18 hours ago

£302m upgrade funding awarded to FE colleges – list

Cash shared out between England’s 179 college groups
18 hours ago

FK Facades thrives but construction arm hit by ISG row

Dispute with failed contractor costs specialist £5.5m
19 hours ago

Galliford Try gets go-ahead for Milton Keynes PRS tower

33-storey tower needs gateway 2 approval before work can start
2 days ago

Small house builders get £150m funding for green homes

Developers will have to meet-up to ten new criteria to benefit from interest rate discounts
18 hours ago

Lendlease Construction renamed Bovis

US private equity firm completes £35m purchase of UK contracting business and rebrands
2 days ago

Breyer Group battles for survival as rivals circle

Housing maintenance firm fights three winding up petitions in a month
2 days ago

Careys facing £2.4m claim by developer over demolition cartel

Giant Hong Kong developer claims it was overcharged on Lots Road Power Station job
2 days ago

Multiplex profit drops a third as revenue rises to £780m

Spate of new orders sets contractor up for three years of work
2 days ago

Galliford Try and Breheny land latest Sizewell C road deals

More infrastructure deals for new nuclear power station
2 days ago

Worker trapped in collapsed septic tank pit

Contractor and director fined after worker suffers multiple fractures
2 days ago

Homes England buys stalled Broad Marsh site

Demolition to finally be completed as developer hunt begins
2 days ago

Vistry go-ahead for 353 homes at Rochester Riverside

Work to start on next phase of Kent town regeneration at end of this year
3 days ago

M&E firm J S Wright collapsed owing £19m

Trade creditors hit for £11.4m by employee-owned Midlands firm
3 days ago

Right to work checks to be extended to self-employed

Government plans crackdown on illegal working and rogue employers
3 days ago

Midlands developer turns to London with £1bn resi schemes trio

SevenCapital plans 1,000 flats in Kensington, Islington and the Isle of Dogs projects
3 days ago

Deck falls off huge scissor lift at Winvic site

Two men seriously injured as platform plunges to the ground
5 days ago

Weston targets Build to Rent with new division

Weston Partnerships signs first deals with asset managers and councils
3 days ago

Bouygues seals deal for £119m Cardiff college campus

Construction to start in June on two new buildings
5 days ago

£140m cash injection to speed-up flood defence schemes

Funding part of £2.65bn investment over the next two years
3 days ago

Bid race starts for £15bn schools framework refresh

DfE throws framework open to more contractors
6 days ago

Berkeley’s £600m Borough Triangle project approved

Controversial scheme features two towers of 38 and 44-storeys
6 days ago

London Mayor calls in blocked 600-bed student scheme

Refused 20-storey London PBSA block may still be built
6 days ago

HG to build 500-bed London Stratford student scheme

Work will start later this year subject to gateway 2 safety approval
6 days ago

Arrest after pedestrian death on construction site

Tragedy during site preparation works for new Wigan car park
6 days ago

British Steel threatens closure of Scunthorpe blast furnaces

Chinese owners say sectional steel and rail supplies will be maintained
6 days ago

Contractor services