Plan to replace fire-risk cladding at Plymouth flats block
It's in light of fire-risk concerns following the Grenfell blaze in London
Another Plymouth tower block is set to have cladding replaced due to fire-risk concerns following the Grenfell blaze in London.
Combustible material has been found in the walls at Ocean Crescent in The Crescent, opposite the New Continental Hotel.
The 11-storey building has offices on the ground floor and 123 apartments on the floors above.
Investigations by experts in 2020 discovered combustible materials had been used in the construction of the external walls.
The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 caused 72 deaths and led to a national review of the safety of cladding on tall buildings, following the discovery that combustible cladding and defects in the building design had helped the fire spread.
Regulations were updated in 2018 to ban the use of combustible materials in buildings more than 18metres high.
A planning application has now been submitted to Plymouth City Council for a fire safety upgrade at Ocean Crescent.
The work will see combustible cladding and wall insulation replaced with “fire safe” materials and the fitting of cavity barriers and closers around windows.
The application has been submitted by Plymouth-based construction consultancy Bailey Partnership on behalf of The Crescent (Plymouth) Management Company Limited.
A statement with the planning application said: “Combustible materials were found to exist within the primary materials used in the construction of the external walls and concerns raised over the presence, or absence, of cavity barriers behind spandrel panels as well as horizontal fire breaks to the external wall insulation system required to delay the spread of fire.
“A subsequent assessment report in November 2020 by a fire engineer confirmed combustible materials ‘…have been found to be present in the external wall systems such that, taking into account the height and use to which these premises are put, the premises may be considered of medium-to-high risk in case of fire.’
“In order to address the issues with the existing facades and ensure the fire risk for each building is reduced to an acceptable level, full planning permission is being sought for the removal of the existing cladding and installing new cladding.”
In late February a planning application was submitted to replace combustible cladding on the upper floors of Central Park Towers, a student flats development between Central Park and the station.
External cladding has been replaced on the Mount Wise Towers at Devonport, three residential blocks managed by Plymouth Community Homes.
The Government has announced a £5million fund and says it will pay for the removal of unsafe cladding for leaseholders in all residential buildings in England higher than 18metres, or six storeys.