Building cladding inspection – update July 2021

In the event of a fire

The fire strategy for your building remains the same. If there is a fire in your flat:

• leave immediately and take your family with you
• close your flat front door behind you
• when safe, raise the alarm by calling the emergency services

If the fire is elsewhere in the building it is usually safe to stay put in your flat. This gives the fire brigade time to get to the fire and put it out. The fire brigade put most fires out in the room where they start. That is why it is important to keep the escape stairs clear for them.

Building safety

We have a legal responsibility under the Fire Safety Order (2005) to minimise the risk of a fire spreading over the outside of a building.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, we carried out detailed checks that confirmed none of our high-rise buildings had the same cladding as was used on the Grenfell Tower. 

The government has issued further building safety guidance for buildings over 18 metres high, setting out how cladding should be inspected and what level of expertise is required to carry out those inspections. To meet the new government requirements, we asked an independent fire engineering company - BB7, to survey our buildings and recommend any improvements considered necessary. 

These inspections of the cladding on the outside of buildings over 18 metres high have been completed. BB7 have concluded that the risk from a fire spreading due to the cladding on the outside our buildings is at a “tolerable” level. This means the risk to yourself and other residents is acceptable as long as some actions are carried out in the short term and other actions carried out over a longer period of time. The typical order of risk from highest to lowest is; intolerable, moderate, tolerable, low. 

You can download the letter from BB7, the fire engineers report and reports relating to each of the buildings below. 

External wall system (EWS) rating

When assessing the external walls of the building, the assessor complete the EWS1 form. The EWS refers to all things attached to the outside of a building including cladding and balconies. This form was developed by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to assist mortgage providers and leasehold home owners when valuing properties. The form takes into account the materials and methods used when installing the cladding and gives an indication of how the cladding affects the overall safety of the building.

The way the EWS1 form is set up the assessor has no option other than to give a B2 rating if a number of problems are found, no matter how small. The overall risk is considered relatively low or "tolerable". This means the risk to yourself and other residents is acceptable as long as certain actions are carried out. The typical order of risk from highest to lowest is; intolerable, moderate, tolerable, low.

We will carry out the necessary actions to ensure the risk to you is acceptable and we would expect an A1 rating will be achieved.

Programme of remedial works

We will start a programme of remedial works later this year to add further safety measures to buildings making them safer, which is our key priority.

Repairs identified during the fire risk assessment of the communal areas of your block include:

• ensuring fire doors close correctly, 
• holes between compartments are sealed 
• the dampers to the refuse bin chutes are working correctly

Longer term action include:

• rearranging the rockwool insulation behind the metal cladding panels to prevent smoke and fire spreading, 
• replacing the infill panel below the window in the lift lobbies
• changing the insulation to the outside of the ground floor flats

Whilst carrying out the work, scaffold will need to be erected around your building and the cladding panels will be refitted or replaced. The process of agreeing the program, procuring suitable contractors and starting on site will take some time.

Access to your property should not be necessary. However, we may take the opportunity to ensure that other fire safety measures within your property are suitable at the same time as carrying out this work. We will keep you updated if other works need to be considered.

We have, and will continue to, work closely with the London Fire Brigade regarding the report findings and recommendations, ensuring the safety of our buildings and developing a program of works. 

Stay updated

We will keep this web page updated. We will have meetings at or near your block where we can discuss proposals. There will be a dedicated resident liaison officer available for the duration of the works.

We encourage residents to read the report and contact us if they have any concerns or questions. We will contact you again with details about a programme of works once it has been confirmed.