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

Groundworks firm Corbyn goes under

£33m-turnover specialist now in hands of administrators
3 days ago

Home office says sorry to FP McCann after site raid

Precast concrete contractor wins damages over "entirely erroneous and unfounded allegation"
3 days ago

Race on for £60m London Gateway container yard job

Civils and M&E job up for grabs at Berth 5
3 days ago

How Construction Enquirer can boost your business

Promote your business to a vast industry audience
3 days ago

Plans in for 3m sq ft Warwickshire logistics park

Thrive Park to deliver £343m in construction investment
3 days ago

Bouygues go-ahead for South London estate rebuild

Nearly 300 flats to be build in Tustin Estate phase two
3 days ago

Court ruling opens floodgates for legacy defect claims

Barratt wins test case unlocking 30-year defect claims on sold buildings
4 days ago

Morgan Sindall wins Crystal Palace sports centre revamp

Major upgrade to iconic South London venue
3 days ago

Bowmer + Kirkland to build Manchester office block

Commercial scheme to kickstart Mayfield Park development
4 days ago

Design team named for £1bn rebuild of Airedale Hospital

Construction set to start in 2027 to 2028 on Keighley hospital replacement
4 days ago

Vistry secures 600-home Sunderland scheme

Work to start early next year on new Sheepfolds neighbourhood
4 days ago

Bilfinger bags National Gas compressor stations deal

Contract will create up to 100 jobs during construction phase
4 days ago

Saint Gobain to build new stone wool insulation factory

Construction to start next year at Melton Mowbray site
4 days ago

United Living acquires civils firm Peter Duffy

Contractor gears-up for AMP8 investment round
5 days ago

Wates calls for PFI reboot to unlock schools and hospitals

Firm sets out fresh model for private cash in public projects
5 days ago

Strabag targets £1bn UK turnover by 2028

Austrian civils contractor ramps up UK push with HARP and HS2 pipeline
5 days ago

Training reform row splits scaffolding sector

Changes planned to the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme
5 days ago

BBV gears up for big HS2 viaduct slide over M6

First 119m viaduct section set to slide into place in June
5 days ago

Council terminates Spencer bridge repair contract

Delays have hit restoration of Grimsby’s historic Corporation Road Bridge
5 days ago

Liverpool unveils £850m highways framework line-up

Graham, Sisk and Wright land spots on city road improvement deal
5 days ago

Tender price rise forecasts downgraded as market stalls

Schemes stall as clients drag feet on project starts
5 days ago

Westminster gears up for £500m housing repairs deal

Council eyes multiple strategic alliances for major housing overhaul
6 days ago

Henry Boot sets October start on £1bn cyber hub next to GCHQ

160,000 sq ft IDEA office building starts 10-year build plan
6 days ago

Cementation Skanska names new operations director

Emma Haddow now heads up UK-wide ground engineering services
6 days ago

Forterra fires-up kilns as house building demand returns

Materials giant boosts production of bricks and concrete floor beams
6 days ago

Plans in for £100m Church Wharf regeneration in Bolton

Developer Watson submits plan for over 400 homes and 130-bed hotel
6 days ago

McAvoy on the hunt for new subcontractors

Meet the Buyer event in Manchester next month: Register now
6 days ago

Ex-Lendlease boss seals £24bn Crown Estate mega sites JV

Crown Estate/Lendlease alliance to build out at Euston, Silvertown and Thamesmead sites
6 days ago

Brookfield gets green light for latest City office scheme

Retrofit-first approach will retain 70% of the original structure at 1 Moor Lane
6 days ago

Knauf commits £170m to build Deeside insulation plant

Work to start next year at former Shotton steelworks site
6 days ago

Contractor services