Newcastle high rise samples pass fire tests

Newcastle City Council has announced that the building materials taken from high rise blocks in the region have passed fire safety tests.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June, local authorities were encouraged to test samples from their tower blocks and fire test the cladding. None of the 38 blocks in Newcastle were found to have aluminium composite material – a type of cladding used on Grenfell - with all samples passing fire tests.

Tina Drury, managing director at Your Homes Newcastle, said: “None of our blocks have cladding made of aluminium composite material which was on the Grenfell Tower, but to reassure tenants we decided to go above and beyond what was required of us and have core samples of the external fabric from blocks tested by an independent fire testing organisation recommended by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

“I am pleased to say all of the samples did pass the fire test, however we are not resting there. We are turning our attention to other materials used on the blocks and those investigations continue. We discovered that decorative panels used on blocks at Riverside Dene should not have been used above 18 metres so we are removing them and will replace them with something else. Let me assure residents that this will happen with minimum disruption."