Industry news
Number of tower blocks with flammable cladding could be more than double official figure
The number of high-rise tower blocks with dangerous cladding could be more than double the official figure, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has claimed. Government figures show there are 323
buildings over 18 metres with ACM cladding, of which 138 are privately owned residential buildings, including hotels and student accommodation. But speaking at the Royal Institute of British Architects fire safety conference, a senior member of RICS said many private block owners have not disclosed they have aluminium cladding similar to that used on the Grenfell Tower.
Gary Strong, director of practice standards and technical guidance at RICS said he believed this was due to concerns over share prices and valuations, with properties being downgraded “because of the blight factor.”
“Out of the 323 buildings which were in the
latest MHCLG report that have ACM cladding we know that in reality it’s more like double that. In the private sector, some of those have not been properly disclosed yet, with very good reason, because it will affect their share prices.” “We need to address the uncertainties in
the market, we need to come together as professionals to try and make sure that we learn from other countries like the United States and Canada.” There have been reports in the media of
flatowners seeing the value of their homes slashed by as much as 90 per cent, with many having bought their homes in the past couple of years using Help to Buy loans funded by the taxpayer.
Birmingham to spend £31m on sprinklers in council’s tower blocks
council’s cabinet approved plans to install them. The work is expected to cost £31m. It was
M
initially approved last year but was held up when some councillors said decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis. Council leader Ian Ward said it was "clear no other system can match this for the prevention of deaths". Mr Ward said it was "regrettable" that Prime
Minister Theresa May had indicated no money will be made available centrally for councils to retrofit the sprinklers after he sent a cross-party letter requesting funding earlier this year. He added that experts including the chief fire officer of the West Midlands and the commissioner of the London Fire Brigade had endorsed the use of sprinklers. The council has over 7,000 flats in 213 tower
blocks across the city, although none of the council- owned tower blocks has the same controversial type of flammable cladding that was used on the Grenfell Tower. Overall it owns more than 60,000 homes making it the biggest council landlord in England.
10 | HMM July 2018 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
ore than 200 residential tower blocks in Birmingham are to have sprinklers fitted "as a matter of urgency" after the city
The Government has approved a £400m funding programme to pay for the removal and replacement of dangerous cladding from social housing tower blocks, but has not approved the use of this money for other safety works such as retrofitting water sprinklers
The Government has approved a £400m funding
programme to pay for the removal and replacement of dangerous cladding from social housing tower blocks, but has not approved the use of this money for other safety works such as retrofitting water sprinklers.
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