The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Colleges to be reviewed for safety after Grenfell tragedy
Blaze: Tower block disaster prompts UHI to assess its buildings
Several north college buildings are to be reviewed for fire safety after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Lews Castle College UHI, in Stornoway, said it is awaiting assurance about fire safety from manufacturers of aluminium cladding on two of its buildings.
Materials used in the Inverness College UHI building and the Scottish School of Forestry at Balloch will be assessed as a “precaution”. And the structural design and associated fire safety systems at the various North Highland College UHI buildings will also be reviewed.
The review follows in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and concerns about whether the building’s aluminium composite cladding contributed to the fire spreading.
Lews Castle College confirmed two of its buildings are partly clad with insulated aluminium panels.
They have been in contact with their makers to establish flammability ratings and compliance with building regulations and are awaiting a response.
A spokesman for the college said that “its buildings have been properly designed with fire departure points and built with social space in the middle and no fire exit issues”.
The flagship Inverness College UHI building was completed in 2015, while the Scottish School of Forestry’s new building formally opened in early 2016.
A spokeswoman for the college said it has requested a report on the materials used during construction as a “precaution”.
She added: “Our building is fully compliant with current fire safety regulations and we have stringent and well-rehearsed policies in place to ensure our staff and students are safe.
“However, in light of the recent tragic incident, it is only right that we exercise due diligence by seeking assurances from our contractor on the materials used in our buildings.”
North Highland College UHI operates from a main building in Thurso and also runs courses from sites at Halkirk, Dornoch and Alness.
A spokeswoman said: “North Highland College UHI has no record of the type of cladding in question being applied on any of its buildings. However, in light of the recent tragic events in London, we are currently reviewing the structural designs and the associated fire safety systems and integrity for all buildings across our campuses”
Shetland College UHI said it does have cladding on its Gremista campus buildings – but said they pass all fire safety requirements. The colleges are overseen by University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), which said none of its buildings, including student halls, have composite aluminium cladding. The other UHI colleges confirmed none of their buildings have any cladding.
“We have stringent and well-rehearsed policies in place”
The judge leading the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire has expressed doubt that the probe will be broad enough to satisfy all survivors.
Sir Martin Moore-Bick travelled to the site of the disaster in north Kensington yesterday morning, later meeting those who escaped the inferno.
Afterwards, he said: “I’ve been asked to undertake this inquiry on the basis that it would be pretty well limited to the problems surrounding the start of the fire and its rapid development in order to make recommendations about how this sort of thing can be prevented in future.
“I’m well aware the residents and the local people want a much broader investigation and I can fully understand why they would want that – whether my inquiry is the right way in which to achieve that I’m more doubtful.”
Referring to a more wide-reaching examination of the Grenfell blaze, Sir Martin said: “I will give that some thought and in due course give a recommendation, but there may be other ways in which the desire for that investigation could be satisfied.”
The judge hailed the meeting with survivors as “very useful” and expressed optimism that an interim report could be produced within a year.
Calls had been made for initial findings into the cause of the fire to be published amid mounting concerns that the inquiry could take years.
On the report, he said: “I think it could be very challenging for two reasons. First, we don’t know exactly how much material there will be to collect – I suspect quite a lot, and it’ll have to be digested so we can come to sound conclusions,
“I’m well aware residents and local people want a much broader inquiry”
albeit as quickly as we can.
“I think it’s impossible to say how long it’s going to take; I have said on other occasions a matter of months, some people have talked about two or three months. I don’t think that’s realistic; on the other hand I would be very disappointed if we couldn’t get a preliminary report out in under a year.
“I would rather not say with any precision now when that is likely to be.
“I would hope to be able to answer the basic factual questions such as how did the fire start, how did it spread, how was it able to engulf the building in such speed and also questions such as what internal precautions there were, what steps were available for alerting residents and allowing them to escape.
“From my brief meetings with the residents of the tower and local people, it’s quite clear many of them will have evidence to give which will be of great value to the inquiry.”
Prime Minister Theresa May said “no stone will be left unturned” by the investigation as she confirmed Sir Martin’s appointment.