Cladding still on three towers
“Our fire safety teams are in contact with the buildings’ owners and have carried out a number of advisory visits and those residents are currently safe.
“If there is a fire we will react appropriately and we’re working with all three of the buildings’ owners to seek the removal of the cladding.
“[After the Grenfell Tower fire] there were 19 towers [with potentially dangerous cladding] and we’re now down to just three, one of which has self-declared recently.”
Fire chiefs have declined to name publicly which high rises still have the cladding, although owners, operators and tenants of the buildings are aware.
CFOLowtherwasspeaking at a meeting of the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority, which also heard a report on the findings of the Grenfell Tower inquiry.
Concerns have once again been raised about external claddingfollowingFriday’sfire in Bolton, which CFO Lowther said was different to the aluminium composite cladding (ACM) of Grenfell Tower, but had lead to a ‘broadly similar’ outcome.
But he reassured the public firefighters were now more aware of and better prepared fight potential blazes, thanks tomeasuresagreedwithbuilding owners.
“Firefighters will be aware of the potential for heightened risks,” CFO Lowther added.
“The Cube, in Bolton, was on Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s high risk listandoncethefirestarted,on the basis of that, very few injuries occurred as a result.
“If they had turned up without that information you may not be assured of the same outcome in Greater Manchester.”