Dozens of Glasgow flats have Grenfell cladding
● MSPS voice fear over revelations ● Council seeks to avoid panic
Dozens of high rise flats in Glasgow have combustible cladding similar to that used on Grenfell Tower, but the owners have not been informed.
It emerged yesterday a total of 57 private properties had been found to have the cladding following checks in the wake of the disaster. Glasgow council insists there is no suggestion the buildings are a particular fire risk but said it would now be informing residents.
Dozens of high-rise buildings in Glasgow have combustible cladding similar to that used in the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it has emerged.
MSPS were told yesterday that cladding had been discovered in 57 buildings in Glasgow – but council chiefs did not go public to avoid a “panic.”
Glasgow City Council later insisted there is “no suggestion that these buildings are a particular fire risk” after the revelations at Holyrood’s local government committee.
Fire safety checks have been ongoing in buildings across Scotland, as well as checks on building and planning standards in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire, which killed an estimated 80 people.
Raymond Barlow, assistant head of planning and building standards in Glasgow, told MSPS that neither the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service nor the owners of the buildings had been notified about the discoveries.
“We’re simply saying we’re supplying the information to Scottish ministers and then we wish to see what they wish to do with the information before we take it further,” he said.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said 57 privately owned buildings had been identified with “some element” of aluminium composite material (ACM) in their construction.
“There is no suggestion that these buildings are a particular fire risk, all of them have fire systems in place and all of these buildings comply with the building regulations which were in force at the time they were constructed,” he said.
Housing minister Kevin Stewart said the “overall information” provided to ministers by the council at a meeting on 8 September was “insufficient”, and the council was asked to provide further information.
Committe convenor Bob Doris described the revelations as “concering.”
“We don’t want this to cause undue alarm, as these build- ings may well be safe,” Mr Doris said after the committee meeeting.
“But people who live in these homes deserve answers.
“That’s why we’ve asked Glasgow City Council and the Scottish government to urgently provide us with more information on the extent of this issue and we will put these concerns to the minister when he appears next week.”
A type of ACM allowed to be used “appropriately” in non-domestic properties has been found in lowrise school buildings in 14 local authority areas, and checks are ongoing to see if this was fitted properly.