PM intervenes in St Francis Tower row as shrinkwrap raised at PMQs
Tom Hunt MP raised the issue of St Francis Tower’s shrinkwrap at Wednesday’s PMQs Boris Johnson has pledged to raise concerns about a tower block’s shrinkwrap directly with the housing secretary – after Ipswich’s MP quizzed him on it at Prime Minister’s questions. The 17-storey St Francis Tower was […]Click here to view original web…
Grenfell inquiry: Cladding and external walls ‘should have been checked by fire risk assessors’
“It is what they enveloped the building with that killed those people,” former Grenfell resident Willie Thompson tells ITV News London Reporter Rags Martel as the inquiry into the fire resumes. External walls, including the flammable cladding that covered Grenfell Tower that may have been a factor in the […] Click here to view original…
Savills : How valuation guidelines on cladding may help ease delays for buyers and sellers of flats
Buyers and sellers of flats have been facing significant delays due to a lack of clarity surrounding the assessment of cladding for mortgage purposes, coupled with a shortage of qualified personnel to carry out the work. Much-needed guidance issued by the RICS in the spring, in the form of […] Click here to view original…
What I filmed during the Grenfell Tower refurb two years before the tragedy ‘haunts me to this day’
Constantine’s video of the refurb after he spoke to residents about their difficulties when he heard about the difficulties (Photo: Richard Ansett/ Channel 4) An artist has told how he is “haunted” by footage he captured of Grenfell Tower residents fighting to stop the installation of flawed renovations before […] Click here to view original…
What’s on TV and radio tonight: Wednesday, September 8
Grenfell: The Untold Story documents how concerns raised by residents over the cladding went unheeded Viewing guide, by Gabriel Tate Grenfell: The Untold Story Channel 4, 10pm The aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 has itself proved scandalous and distressing, as many residents in unsafe properties across […] Click here to view original…
Grenfell Tower inquiry hears external walls should have been part of fire risk assessment
Fire engineering and safety specialist Dr Barbara Lane has told the Grenfell Tower inquiry that the external walls and their combustible cladding should have been included in the risk assessments carried out by former firefighter Carl Stokes prior to the tragedy that claimed 72 lives External walls should have […] Click here to view original…
Cladding: Cardiff homeowner’s tears as safety costs spiral
Deborah Polverino and her partner Guy Griffiths are facing spiralling costs People who have lost thousands of pounds in the post-Grenfell fire safety crisis have asked for urgent help amid spiralling insurance and service costs. Deborah Polverino, from Cardiff, saw her annual service charge rise from £3,000 to nearly […] Click here to view original…
Fiona Stanley Hospital fire cladding upgrades force some wards to temporarily close
Fiona Stanley Hospital has been waiting for cladding upgrades for more than two years. (ABC News: James Carmody) Parts of Perth’s biggest hospital will have to be temporarily shut while important fire upgrades are conducted, potentially putting extra strain on a health system already being stretched to record levels. […] Click here to view original…
Grenfell Tower set to be demolished over safety risks
The UK government has decided to demolish Grenfell Tower four years after a fatal fire tore through the block of flats in west London , following a report that states the building should be “deconstructed at the earliest possible opportunity”. Although the government has not officially announced the decision, […] Click here to view original…
Blog: The Cladding Crisis – are we any further forward?
Issues with cladding continue but skilled surveyors are key to identifying problems, writes Peter Glover. MFG readers will be familiar with the Grenfell Tower Inquiry which continues, hearing evidence and receiving documents relating to the tower block fire which claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017. As of 31 […] Click here to view original…
Grenfell survivors accuse government of trying to demolish the tower block without consulting them
Grenfell has stood with a ‘forever in our hearts’ sign since the tragedy Grenfell survivors and relatives of the bereaved have accused the government of trying to demolish the tower block without consulting them. Members of the Grenfell United group say they have had “previous assurances the tower poses […] Click here to view original…
Flammable cladding in Colchester flats replaced in £27k project
(2) A COLCHESTER company is helping flat owners in the town reduce the risk of fires breaking out as a result problematic wooden cladding in their properties. PMS Managing Estates, which is comprised of a group of leaseholders with homes in Nicholsons Grove, is replacing flammable timber in a […] Click here to view original…