London’s Camden Council to strip cladding from five towers

Aaron Morby 7 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

Berkeley subbies face six weeks without payments

Introduction of new finance software means payment hiatus for suppliers
38 mins ago

Pagabo reveals 56 winners of latest £1.6bn retrofit deal

Decarbonisation Solutions Framework launched: Full list of winners
56 mins ago

Go-ahead for £100m Liverpool Love Lane flats

500-flat scheme will be built across four blocks in Vauxhall area of city
42 mins ago

Contractors jack 1,100t viaduct into place in 13-hour operation

158m-long composite deck structure jacked into place 10-hours ahead of schedule
44 mins ago

Wates wins former Daily Mail printworks transformation

British Land advances major cultural venue at London’s Canada Water
20 hours ago

Mace poaches Ramboll chief to be Head of Engineering

Martin Feakes will develop civil and structural engineering offer at Mace
19 hours ago

Subcontractors form alliance for major civils jobs

Trio of specialists join forces to collaborate and offer Tier 1 contractors a turnkey solution
23 hours ago

Fear of supply chain failures boosting collaboration

Procurement survey also reveals project bank account use is rising
23 hours ago

Wates sets up business to target 160,000 mouldy social homes

Healthy Homes service will be offered to social landlords across England
24 hours ago

Higgins wins £75m Peabody Passive House job

Latest phase of Deptford Landings to start construction
23 hours ago

Contractors and unions agree Sizewell C working deal

New deal offers improved sick pay and parental leave over Hinkley Point deal
1 day ago

Competition chiefs win legal fight for more construction raids

High Court rules CMA officials can raid a domestic property as part of investigation
2 days ago

More Osborne companies file administration notices

Three more divisions lodge notices with court
2 days ago

McLaren wins multi-storey urban logistics contract

South London win with British Land is pioneering urban logistics hub
2 days ago

Big social housing schemes at risk over funding uncertainty

Housing associations warn uncertainty over public funding beyond 2026 is curbing new schemes
2 days ago

Kier wins Worcestershire town centre renewal

Firm secures Bromsgrove commercial and cultural hub project
2 days ago

BAM signs Kent school contract at £42m

Sevenoaks school rebuild signed off at £8m more than first estimates
2 days ago

RG Group signs £121m Newcastle rental homes job

Developer Olympian Homes advances 519 flats plan at Pottery Lane site
5 days ago

Geoffrey Osborne files administration notice

Contractor in talks to save parts of the business
5 days ago

Winners named for £260m Manchester Uni framework

B&K, Henry Bros, Graham, Robertson and Vinci among new line-up
5 days ago

Shed specialist Benniman rides out market lull

Worcestershire warehouse builder says industrial and logistics work is picking up again
5 days ago

Another contractor cleared after high profile immigration raid

Adana Construction employees were working legally on site swooped on by Home Office
5 days ago

McAleer & Rushe wants to meet new London suppliers

Contractor holding Meet the Buyer event in London: Register now
5 days ago

McAlpine signs £500m Broadgate dual towers deal

Work to start on iconic 36-storey and 21-storey towers
6 days ago

Worker rescued from collapsed four metre deep trench

Fire crews take six hours to save trapped builder near Blackwall Tunnel
6 days ago

Gove puts another major building scheme on hold

Secretary of State starts another planning fight after M&S defeat
7 days ago

Greenwich University tenders £300m framework

Up to five firms will carry out upgrade and newbuild work at three campuses
6 days ago

Work starts on Manchester 26-storey Obsidian tower

Contractor Domis starts Salboy's 10th Manchester scheme in seven years
6 days ago

Race for £1.3bn West Midlands social homes framework

The Community Housing Group reboots tender race for new build housing
6 days ago

Delancey submits £400m King’s Cross lab plans

200,000 sq ft lab/office project will be built above railway and tube tunnels just 4.5m below
7 days ago

Contractor services