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| Government will cover costs of fire safety work, councils told | Government will cover costs of fire safety work, councils told |
| (7 months later) | |
| LGA chair says minister made funding promise in private conversation about implications of Grenfell Tower fire | |
| Anushka Asthana and | |
| Harrison Jones | |
| Mon 19 Jun 2017 20.31 BST | |
| First published on Mon 19 Jun 2017 14.01 BST | |
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| Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, has told senior figures in local government that councils will be fully reimbursed for any building work carried out on tower blocks that could face a similar fire risk to that of Grenfell Tower. | Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, has told senior figures in local government that councils will be fully reimbursed for any building work carried out on tower blocks that could face a similar fire risk to that of Grenfell Tower. |
| A letter sent by the Local Government Association chairman, Gary Porter, to council leaders in England and Wales and seen by the Guardian, claimed the minister made the promise in a private conversation. Lord Porter said he had “secured assurances that funding will be made available to those councils that need to conduct work”. | A letter sent by the Local Government Association chairman, Gary Porter, to council leaders in England and Wales and seen by the Guardian, claimed the minister made the promise in a private conversation. Lord Porter said he had “secured assurances that funding will be made available to those councils that need to conduct work”. |
| Councils have been ordered to carry out urgent checks on the cladding of refurbished buildings to help reassure residents after at least 79 people died in the Kensington and Chelsea tragedy. | Councils have been ordered to carry out urgent checks on the cladding of refurbished buildings to help reassure residents after at least 79 people died in the Kensington and Chelsea tragedy. |
| Melanie Dawes, the permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), has written to councils ordering them to identify any use of aluminium composite material (ACM). “It is important to stress that ACM cladding is not of itself dangerous, but it is important that the right type is used,” she said. | Melanie Dawes, the permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), has written to councils ordering them to identify any use of aluminium composite material (ACM). “It is important to stress that ACM cladding is not of itself dangerous, but it is important that the right type is used,” she said. |
| Any buildings that have the material will have a sample tested. “We are making this testing facility available to any other residential landlords and you should ensure that they are aware of this offer,” Dawes wrote. She said the DCLG would then work with councils and housing associations to “identify the most appropriate options for supporting funding”. | Any buildings that have the material will have a sample tested. “We are making this testing facility available to any other residential landlords and you should ensure that they are aware of this offer,” Dawes wrote. She said the DCLG would then work with councils and housing associations to “identify the most appropriate options for supporting funding”. |
| However, Javid appears to have gone further in a conversation with the LGA chair. Porter wrote: “I have been in discussion with DCLG’s secretary of state today about the resource implications of any work identified as a result of the new inspections DCLG have requested and secured assurances that funding will be made available to those councils that need to conduct work.” | However, Javid appears to have gone further in a conversation with the LGA chair. Porter wrote: “I have been in discussion with DCLG’s secretary of state today about the resource implications of any work identified as a result of the new inspections DCLG have requested and secured assurances that funding will be made available to those councils that need to conduct work.” |
| Downing Street said the government expected to receive figures from all local authorities and housing associations in England on the total number of high-rise buildings that would be subject to further safety checks by Monday night. | Downing Street said the government expected to receive figures from all local authorities and housing associations in England on the total number of high-rise buildings that would be subject to further safety checks by Monday night. |
| The issue was discussed during the third meeting of the Grenfell Tower recovery taskforce, chaired by Theresa May. | The issue was discussed during the third meeting of the Grenfell Tower recovery taskforce, chaired by Theresa May. |
| According to officials the group agreed to embed staff from five government departments within the fire response team on the ground, which is dealing with the fallout of the tragedy. They also said that the Department for Work and Pensions had begun giving out £5,000 payments to households affected by the fire, with nearly 100 letters sent out providing advice on how to claim the money. | According to officials the group agreed to embed staff from five government departments within the fire response team on the ground, which is dealing with the fallout of the tragedy. They also said that the Department for Work and Pensions had begun giving out £5,000 payments to households affected by the fire, with nearly 100 letters sent out providing advice on how to claim the money. |
| May was told that reports of residents being sent to new homes hundreds of miles away were untrue, as the prime minister reiterated a promise to rehouse people within three weeks in the same neighbourhood or a neighbouring one. | May was told that reports of residents being sent to new homes hundreds of miles away were untrue, as the prime minister reiterated a promise to rehouse people within three weeks in the same neighbourhood or a neighbouring one. |
| The first rehousing offers were made on Monday, a dedicated NHS mental health response line was also started and the lord chief justice will appoint a judge to oversee an independent inquiry within days. | The first rehousing offers were made on Monday, a dedicated NHS mental health response line was also started and the lord chief justice will appoint a judge to oversee an independent inquiry within days. |
| Porter’s letter said many local authorities had been contacting worried residents to assure them that action was being taken. | Porter’s letter said many local authorities had been contacting worried residents to assure them that action was being taken. |
| He told colleagues to take the following steps. | He told colleagues to take the following steps. |
| Establish which tower blocks the councils own or manage that have been refurbished. | Establish which tower blocks the councils own or manage that have been refurbished. |
| Ensure any building control signoff has taken into account the fire safety regulations (with a number of councils getting independent specialists to check cladding). | Ensure any building control signoff has taken into account the fire safety regulations (with a number of councils getting independent specialists to check cladding). |
| Establish an up-to-date fire risk assessment has been carried out since the refurbishment took place. | Establish an up-to-date fire risk assessment has been carried out since the refurbishment took place. |
| Review first safety advice given to residents. | Review first safety advice given to residents. |
| On the move to replace potentially dangerous cladding, Porter added: “The note DCLG will send out today is based on expert advice, but we know there is a great deal of speculation and concern about wider issues and we are seeking to support effective coordination in case further questions and requests for info emerge.” | On the move to replace potentially dangerous cladding, Porter added: “The note DCLG will send out today is based on expert advice, but we know there is a great deal of speculation and concern about wider issues and we are seeking to support effective coordination in case further questions and requests for info emerge.” |
| The Conservative peer promised to contact councils once the LGA had more details of Javid’s private assurances. | The Conservative peer promised to contact councils once the LGA had more details of Javid’s private assurances. |
| One Whitehall source confirmed that the government was ready to pay for retro-fitting costs. | One Whitehall source confirmed that the government was ready to pay for retro-fitting costs. |
| Camden council in north London said its buildings did not use the same cladding as Grenfell Tower, but confirmed it had begun testing the materials that were used and would report in the next two days. “On-site testing from inside buildings has begun and cladding samples have been removed from buildings to be taken away and tested,” the council said. In the meantime, council workers have checked corridors in Camden tower blocks and removed any potentially flammable materials, and will soon start tests on white goods and fire doors. | Camden council in north London said its buildings did not use the same cladding as Grenfell Tower, but confirmed it had begun testing the materials that were used and would report in the next two days. “On-site testing from inside buildings has begun and cladding samples have been removed from buildings to be taken away and tested,” the council said. In the meantime, council workers have checked corridors in Camden tower blocks and removed any potentially flammable materials, and will soon start tests on white goods and fire doors. |
| The DCLG maintains that composite aluminium cladding panels made with a polyethylene core do not comply with current building regulations and should not be used on buildings over 18m in height. But the department failed to explain how the product breached the code. | The DCLG maintains that composite aluminium cladding panels made with a polyethylene core do not comply with current building regulations and should not be used on buildings over 18m in height. But the department failed to explain how the product breached the code. |
| Arconic, a materials firm that manufactures Reynobond panels in France and which provided them for Grenfell Tower, states in its fire safety documents that when a building exceeds the height of firefighters’ ladders it should be clad only with incombustible materials. In the UK that amounts to an 18m-high building, less than one-third the height of the 67m-tall Grenfell Tower. While Arconic makes fire-resistant versions of Reynobond panels, those used on Grenfell Tower had a polyethylene core and are combustible. | Arconic, a materials firm that manufactures Reynobond panels in France and which provided them for Grenfell Tower, states in its fire safety documents that when a building exceeds the height of firefighters’ ladders it should be clad only with incombustible materials. In the UK that amounts to an 18m-high building, less than one-third the height of the 67m-tall Grenfell Tower. While Arconic makes fire-resistant versions of Reynobond panels, those used on Grenfell Tower had a polyethylene core and are combustible. |
| The regulations are intended to be flexible, so that experienced architects and engineers can draw up fresh designs and use new materials without having to wait for the rules to be updated. As such, they provide guidance but little more. “There is no obligation to adopt any particular solution contained in an approved document if you prefer to meet the relevant requirement in some other way,” the building regulations state. | The regulations are intended to be flexible, so that experienced architects and engineers can draw up fresh designs and use new materials without having to wait for the rules to be updated. As such, they provide guidance but little more. “There is no obligation to adopt any particular solution contained in an approved document if you prefer to meet the relevant requirement in some other way,” the building regulations state. |
| One fire safety expert told the Guardian that the regulations are so complex that they could easily be misinterpreted by someone without appropriate training and experience. “If you look at the guidance and try to follow it logically, you go through so many ifs, buts and maybes that it gets difficult, and I can imagine someone not well versed in them making a mistake because they haven’t fully understood the guidance.” | One fire safety expert told the Guardian that the regulations are so complex that they could easily be misinterpreted by someone without appropriate training and experience. “If you look at the guidance and try to follow it logically, you go through so many ifs, buts and maybes that it gets difficult, and I can imagine someone not well versed in them making a mistake because they haven’t fully understood the guidance.” |
| Grenfell Tower fire | |
| Local government | |
| Social housing | |
| Housing | |
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