Cladding set to be stripped from flats
OWNERS READY TO ACT OVER THREATENED STUDENT BLOCK
CLADDING could be removed from Huddersfield student flats under threat of being shut down.
iQ student accommodation has acted after West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYFRS) revealed earlier this month that it could forcibly close the Castings on King’s Bridge Road because highly flammable cladding had not been taken off.
The student block was one of 13 high-rise buildings in West Yorkshire found to be breaching new regulations in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The latest Government documents show fire safety regulations were changed for buildings over 18m (59ft) tall – roughly anything higher than five storeys.
WYFRS revealed earlier this month that it wanted action by January 10 or it could condemn the complex, as it did with Kingfisher Court.
Deputy chief fire officer Dave Walton said: “Whilst we do not wish to cause any alarm, we must be clear in advance that prohibition of the entire building, or parts of it, will be one of our considerations if we are not satisfied with the response provided to us by those responsible for your building.”
Last week the firm that owns and runs the flats, iQ student accommodation, vowed the residents were all safe and said it was working behind the scenes to tackle the problem.
It has now lodged a planning application with Kirklees Council to remove all the aluminium cladding from the four blocks and replace it with a fire resistant alternative.
The application says: “The owner has an obligation to replace the aluminium composite material panels on the facade with non-combustible alternatives. The owner is keen to satisfy the requirements of the current building regulations, above and beyond what is required by law.”
The Castings are less than five years old, having only received planning permission in April 2013.