Unite reveals £20m cost of replacing HPL cladding

Aaron Morby 5 years ago
Share

Student accommodation developer Unite has committed to spend up to £20m replacing high-pressure laminate cladding on its buildings.

Waverley House, one of six Unite buildings where ACM cladding has been replaced
Waverley House, one of six Unite buildings where ACM cladding has been replaced

Unite said it had completed replacement work on all buildings fitted with Grenfell-style ACM cladding and had now turned to assessing the extent of HPL cladding on its estate.

The Ministry of Housing has advised that the widely-used HPL cladding should be removed from high-rises if it is combined with combustible insulation.

Already Oxford City council has said it will remove HPL cladding whether it is backed by combustible or non-combustible insulation.

Sales of HPL cladding were on a par with those of ACM before the Grenfell disaster suggesting hundreds of buildings may be at risk across the country.

Unite said it had identified 19 properties with HPL across its estate, all but three of which are greater than 18 metres in height.

The majority of buildings have minimal HPL, covering less than a quarter of the buildings.

Unite said it aimed to make claims against contractors under its building contracts. But in the interim, the student developer has committed to spend £15-£20m over the next 12-24 months on remediation works, significantly more than cost of replacing ACM cladding on its estate.

Richard Smith, Chief Executive Officer, said:  “We take fire safety extremely seriously and are at the forefront of new improvements, being one of the first to act on ACM advice.

“More recently, and in accordance with the Government’s Building Safety Advice of 20 January 2020, we are undertaking a thorough review of the use of HPL cladding on our properties.

“Tests of the materials and cladding systems are being carried out for each property. All our buildings have been confirmed safe for students to occupy by independent fire safety experts.”

He added: “Special measures have been put in place at the affected buildings, including increased building patrols by staff and additional alarm measures, and we will remove this cladding where it fails to meet the new requirements.

“We are committed to doing what’s right, in line with our values. We do not expect there to be any building closures related to these works.”

Latest news

Redundancies loom at M&E giant Dalkia

Consultation starts at Southern region
36 minutes ago

Land deal unlocks East London £750m health hub plan

Queen Mary University secures site to build Whitechapel life sciences complex
36 minutes ago

Aureos bags £45m Howden Relief Road job

Former Keltbray infrastructure business to start construction next month
13 minutes ago

Four injured after partially built floor collapses

Court hears how steel beams were cut at the same time Acrow props removed
22 minutes ago

Careys directors sacked after £4m job-loss showdown

Pair win unfair dismissal case after being accused of "tickling each other’s bollocks"
3 days ago

Danny Sullivan Group hits back over HS2 allegations

Labour supply giant confident it is "fully compliant with all tax obligations"
3 days ago

Bid race takes off for £500m MAG airport small works deal

Nine-lot framework to cover civils, building and M&E jobs up to £5m
3 days ago

Mace director joins Wates as Chief Commercial Officer

Pat Fitzgerald to lead commercial strategy at Wates
3 days ago

Rob Perrins steps up as executive chair in Berkeley shake-up

Long-serving chief steps up to lead housebuilder’s next growth phase
3 days ago

Competition watchdog turns attention to civil engineering

Competition and Markets Authority launches study into road and rail delivery
4 days ago

Timber imports rise for first time in four years

Softwood volumes and prices lead rebound as housing outlook improves
3 days ago

10-Year Infrastructure Strategy published

Full details as Government pledges £725bn of funding over the next decade
4 days ago

Korean firm buys part built Hackney job from failed Elements Europe

Work can now restart on 21-storey hotel and office development
4 days ago

Mark Wild radical reset plan to rescue HS2

Senior manager bonuses scrapped and non-permanent labour cutback
4 days ago

HS2 supply chain fraud claims spark ministerial probe

Transport secretary pledges one-year reset for HS2 to end 'litany of failures'
5 days ago

Lords launch inquiry into Building Safety Regulator delays

Industry asked for evidence of how system is failing: Have your say
4 days ago

Willmott Dixon director becomes co-owner of local contractor BSN

Nick Gibb targets £100m turnover at Dudley based national contractor
5 days ago

Dry lining boss sentenced after mystery account moves

Court hears of £500,000 in unexplained transfers before contractor went under
4 days ago

Barhale bags £16m shaft tank for Severn Trent Water

"Final piece in the puzzle" of Etruria Vale upgrade
4 days ago

Keltbray strikes £30m funding deal for growth

Three-year funding deal to support push into higher-margin work
5 days ago

Take That brother buys steelwork giant William Hare

Entrepreneur Simon Orange seals deal for £350m turnover contractor
6 days ago

Civils contractor LF Solutions files administration notice

£20m-turnover specialist has labour supply arm and own plant fleet
5 days ago

Joseph Gallagher lands £50m green energy deal

Major trenchless construction contract for HyNet North West project
5 days ago

New boss drives NG Bailey to record revenue

Fresh strategy lifts M&E group's order book to £1.6bn
5 days ago

Costain wins vast underground hydrogen storage design job

Firms lands FEED contract for Cheshire salt caverns conversion
5 days ago

Graham gets green light for £70m Glasgow student tower

Construction due to start this year on 25-storey Anderston scheme
5 days ago

New £16bn National Housing Bank to drive 500k new builds

Homes England given new powers to finance stalled and complex schemes
5 days ago

Morgan Sindall upgrades profits forecast for this year

Overbury fitout and construction operations exceed trading expectations
6 days ago

Major project bidders to face ‘British jobs’ test

Contractors to face tougher jobs pledge scrutiny under new procurement shake-up
7 days ago

Green light for £32m Wythenshawe Culture Hub

Construction to start this year on first phase of £500m town centre revamp
6 days ago

Contractor services