Seven tower blocks found to have combustible cladding after Grenfell disaster
2 min read
Government tests conducted in light of the Grenfell Tower disaster have found a further seven high-rise residential buildings have combustible cladding installed.
Despite the findings, No 10 said the buildings were not being automatically designated as unsafe, saying that was a decision for the fire service.
Samples are being examined from an estimated 600 tower blocks across England that have cladding installed.
It is unknown how many tests have been conducted so far but the seven combustible samples come from four local authorities, Downing Street said.
The Government had initially suggested that the 600 figure related those with the same type of cladding as was installed on Grenfell Tower, which went up in flames last week.
But the No 10 spokeswoman clarified the position this afternoon: “What I explained this morning was that the latest figures that we had, which were based on estimates from local authorities, were that there were 600 buildings with a certain type of cladding, but actually the update DCLG have provided throughout the afternoon is that the figure is now 600 buildings, we understand, that have cladding – that could be any type of cladding, that’s the clarification they have made.”
The spokeswoman said that whether or not the buildings with the flammable cladding were safe or not was down to “individual circumstances”, but stressed that if they were deemed unsafe tenants would be rehoused “as soon as possible”.
“It’s not automatic that the building will be declared unsafe – otherwise we would just do it straightaway,” the spokeswoman said.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid will issue a further update this evening.
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