NEW TOWER FEARS
JESS GOT THE LOTT Removing cladding ‘boosts blaze risk’
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STRIPPING cladding from buildings in the wake of the Grenfell Tower inferno could be increasing the risk of fire.
Pulling off the panels can expose less-fire-resistant materials underneath, the government has warned.
Dozens of councils have been removing cladding from tower blocks after it was blamed for the spread of the Grenfell blaze in which 80 died.
But now the Department of Communities and Local Government has warned the process could be making buildings more dangerous.
It has told owners “not to create conditions which may worsen the integrity of the cladding system”.
Unsafe
Safety expert Arnold Tarling said: “Exposed insulation on the exterior of a building is unsafe because of the risk of fire spreading over the surface.”
An investigation found insulation more combustible than that used on Grenfell Tower has been left exposed on six tower blocks in Salford.
Resident Jon Smith said: “It is more dangerous than the cladding that covers it because it is combustible.
“Now it is exposed you only need some idiot after a night on the drink deciding to conduct their own fire test and the whole block goes up.”
Pendleton Together Housing, which manages the properties for the council, said it is now planning to cover the insulation with temporary cement boards.