Student flats block to have fire-risk cladding replaced after Grenfell tragedy
The seven-storey building houses more than 200 students
A student flats block in Plymouth is set to have combustible cladding replaced due to the fire risk after an investigation following the Grenfell tragedy.
Planning permission is being sought for the safety work at Central Park Towers, between the station and Central Park north of the city centre.
The seven-storey building offers accommodation for 204 full-time students at the university and other institutions in the city. The twin blocks, with a central link, have brick exteriors on the lower floors with cladding on the upper levels.
A report with a planning application to the city council says surveys have found the external cladding, wall insulation and other building features are combustible and need to be replaced with safer materials.
The blaze in the Grenfell Tower block in West London, in June 2017, caused 72 deaths, and led to a review of fire safety in high-rise buildings. Investigators found the fire spread rapidly due to the cladding, insulation and structure. In December 2018, the use of combustible materials in new buildings higher than 18m (59ft) was banned.
The planning report to the city council from Plymouth-based consultants Bailey Partnership said the cladding on Central Park Towers was investigated by experts in January and August 2018.
It said: “The investigations found that some parts of the building were not insulated, nor was there any evidence of any fire barriers to delay the spread 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.”
It is now proposed to replace the cladding, add safe insulation, remove other combustible features and create fire breaks in the cavities at wall junctions and around windows.
The report says: “The proposal seeks to replace the existing cladding, including support structure, insulation and cement particle board with new. This is necessary to provide a safe residential environment.”
It adds: “The project looks to replace all combustible products within the external facades of the building with non-combustible products.
“The proposals are considered to be acceptable in terms of design quality and will not have a discernible impact upon the character and appearance of the area.
“Works to the fire compartmentation around windows and within the cavities will also be completed.”
The report says the combustible external wall insulation will be replaced with a non-combustible system the same or equal to that approved for use at tower blocks in Devonport managed by Plymouth Community Homes where the cladding has been replaced.
The curved outside cladding at Central Park Towers, in Central Park Avenue, will be replaced with non-combustible aluminium strips coloured to match the light grey windows.
The soffit – an external feature – of the ‘link’ building, and timber cladding on a bin store, will be replaced with a matching aluminium system and a sun shade canopy will be changed.
The report says the work “will ensure that Central Park Towers is safe for residents for years to come” and it requests approval “without delay”.
The planning application is being handled by the planning consultants on behalf of Central Park Towers Management RTM Company Limited.
The Government established the Building Safety Programme in 2017 after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, to provide guidance to owners of multi-storey multi-occupied residential buildings.
An advisory panel said immediate action should be taken to prevent the risk of fire spread from external wall systems. In February the Government announced an extra £3.5billion of funding to fix dangerous cladding on high-rise buildings in England.