Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Safety inspection check speeded up
Council accelerate tower block examinations
Comprehensive inspections are being carried out at Monklands’14 tower blocks from this week after a planned North Lanarkshirewide programme was accelerated.
The project will be carried out in three stages, beginning with the external examinations which got underway on Monday, followed by internal inspections and then full structural surveys of each high-rise across the local authority area.
Although the surveying work had already been planned, it has now been prioritised in the wake of last month’s devastating fatal fire at Grenfell Tower in London.
Council leader Jim Logue said: “The safety of our tenants is paramount and we take our responsibilities as a landlord very seriously.
“We already had a planned survey programme for all our towers in place; however, as a result of the Grenfell tragedy, this work has been brought forward.”
A council spokesperson said: “It is important to stress that none of the cladding systems on tower blocks is the same as the type used at Grenfell Tower and our insulation material is made of mineral wool which is noncombustible.
“The surveys will check to see that the buildings are in good structural order and that there has been no deterioration to the cladding systems.”
Coatbridge’s tower blocks are Calder, Coltswood, Dunbeth, Glen, High Coats, Jackson, Millbrae, Redbridge, Whifflet and Witchwood Courts. Airdrie’s high rises are Cheviot, Merrick and Pentland Courts in Holehills, plus Milton Court near the town centre – which has been a designated community for over-60s since 2014.
Four of the Coatbridge towers had already been surveyed in June 2016 as the programme of structural surveys got underway, checking the condition of the buildings and cladding systems.
The same checks by structural engineers began in Airdrie on Monday, going on to take place at all 48 of North Lanarkshire’s tower blocks.
Phase one, running until September, is an external condition check, with selected external panels being removed by specialist contractors to allow inspections to be carried out.
It will be followed in the same month by an internal inspection of each type of tower building, assessing common areas, fire escapes, service routes, void spaces and some houses; then a full structural survey of every tower, expected to take a total of 40 weeks.
Councillor Logue added: “It will check that the buildings are in good structural order and no repairs are required to the cladding systems. Where essential repairs are identified, they will be carried out as quickly as possible.”
North Lanarkshire officials are writing to all tower residents to inform them about the work, with assistant chief executive Robert Steenson saying: “There will be minimum disruption to residents, and we expect the initial phase to be completed within a few weeks.
“We will continue to meet with tenants’ groups to update them regarding the survey work and provide general information and fire safety advice.”
Further information on the assessment works is available for residents from housing offices.
Council officials add that they have “developed robust safety procedures to minimise fire risks in towers”, working alongside Scottish Fire and Rescue.
They include daily fire checks and walkthroughs of all towers by trained housing staff; quarterly visits from firefighters, annual risk assessments and six-monthly reviews; CCTV monitoring and night- time inspections; a tower safety leaflet for all residents and emergency boxes in each block detailing the number of tenants and those considered vulnerable.
The safety of our tenants is paramount, we take our responsibilities seriously