Cladding issues still not sorted
Reporter AS tens of thousands of students flock back to Newcastle, several housing blocks are still covered in Grenfell Tower-style cladding.
Back in June, The Chronicle revealed four complexes offering rooms for students were fitted with flammable aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding.
The exterior panels are similar to the ones which contributed to the deadly June 14 fire which claimed the lives of at least 80 people in London.
But four months on, and with the university term about to begin, the cladding is still in place on all four buildings identified.
The blocks in question are St James’ Point, Verde and Liberty Living, all close to St James’ Park, plus Tyne Student Living on the former Tyne Tees site.
Liberty Living are not allowing students to live in one of the blocks in their Newcastle site, such is the concern about cladding on the building.
Following the Grenfell Tower fire, Chroniclelive launched the What Price Life? campaign calling for urgent action to prevent a similar disaster in our region.
Welcome week for new students at Northumbria University began on Monday while term gets under way on September 25 at Newcastle University.
More than 50,000 students studied at the two universities as of 2015/16.
Hundreds of returning and new students, from the UK and abroad, could already be moving into buildings which have been identified as a fire risk.
The operators of three of the blocks say they have plans to remove the cladding eventually.
The owners of Tyne Student Living are yet to respond to requests for comment.
Fresh Student Living, who operate the Tyne Student Living site, said they manage the site but do not own the building and declined to comment.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have been in contact with all the private landlords of the student blocks in Newcastle where we are aware that aluminium composite material (ACM) has been used. We are therefore clear what measures they have taken to ensure the safety of their residents.
“The fire and rescue service has also made visits to all blocks with known cladding issues and worked with the landlords to carry out thorough inspections and assess other safety measures put in place.”
The spokesperson added they were “satisfied that all landlords are taking the issue of safety extremely seriously”.
A Liberty Living spokesperson confirmed testing showed ACM cladding was in place on their Newcastle block.
They added: “The cladding was not the same brand as used on the Grenfell Tower however Liberty Living plans to remove all ACM cladding.
“No student is moving into Block D. Based upon the advice of our experts and the comprehensive fire measures in place, safe and continued occupation can be maintained elsewhere.”
A spokesperson for Downing, who run the Verde block, said they were “in the process of securing building control approval for replacement panels to be installed on the sections of the building affected”.
They added: “Once this has been secured, we will commence the replacement works on site over the next two months.”
BSRE, owners of the St James’ Point block, confirmed they had “commenced the process to remove the existing cladding and has engaged a specialist contractor with which it has completed designs, in line with government guidance and at a time when it will minimise disruption to our residents”.