Grenfell cladding fears at Scottish student housing
Residents stay put as uni pull panels from their hall
CLADDING was stripped from a Scottish university hall of residence yesterday after it was found to be the same type reportedly used on tragic Grenfell Tower.
Edinburgh Napier University said some panels on Bainfield Halls were being removed as a precaution. Students were not evacuated.
It is the first time cladding has been pulled from a building in Scotland since the fire in London, which killed at least 79 people.
Investigators are probing whether the core of Grenfell Tower’s cladding, said to be Reynobond PE, enabled a fridge-freezer fire to spread across the building early on June 14.
The process to remove cladding at the halls of residence in Edinburgh’s Fountainbridge is expected to take about four weeks.
Bainfield Halls is owned by Standard Life but the university have
Work has now begun to remove and replace the cladding as a precaution SPOKESMAN
a long-term lease to insure and repair the building.
University secretary Dr Gerry Webber was on site as panels were removed. Edinburgh Napier University downplayed the risks, saying that the block’s fire system was vastly superior to Grenfell’s.
A spokesman said: “Following the Grenfell Tower fire in London, we immediately began a review of all our buildings.
“A physical inspection identified that around a quarter of the exterior walls on one of our buildings – Bainfield Halls of residence – featured the same cladding reportedly used at Grenfell.
“The insulation materials behind the Bainfield cladding panels are non-combustible, panel hangings are all made of metal, wall cavities are properly fire-stopped and the buildings are fitted with sprinklers.
“There are also a range of other fire safety measures in place, including each block having its own exit route, a modern fire alarm and smoke detection system that is tested weekly, and 24-hour on-site security.
“Work has already begun to remove and replace the cladding as a precautionary measure, and we are working closely with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to ensure it is safe to continue to use the building as normal.”
The university have written to tenants and asked them to get in touch with concerns. A residents’ meeting is being held today.
Fountainbridge Green Party councillor Gavin Corbett said: “While the fire service advice appears to be that there is no need to evacuate, if there is even a sliver of doubt, the university must offer alternative accommodation for those students directly affected.”
No local authority tower blocks in Scotland have been found to use the same material as Grenfell.
Cladding from 95 towers in 32 local authority areas down south has failed fire safety tests – a 100 per cent fail rate.
Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday said there should be a “major national investigation” into the use of cladding on high-rises.