Two more blocks of flats have failed cladding tests

Two further blocks that are below 18 metres in height at Winterthur Way have failed safety checks, a Basingstoke Council report has revealed.

Birch and Fir blocks both failed checks because there are no vertical cavity barriers in several locations on both blocks, which could lead to the spread of fire horizontally from flat to flat.

It comes after The Gazette previously reported that seven out of the 14 apartment blocks in Basingstoke that are more than six storeys tall had failed fire safety checks, brought in after the Grenfell Tower blaze killed 72 people in 2017.

This included penthouses in the 24-metre-high Cherry, Holly and Elm blocks on Winterthur Way.

The External Walls System report, seen by The Gazette, revealed penthouses at Winterthur Way, part of the Victory Hill development, were wrapped in high pressure laminate, a type of cladding that burns 115 times hotter than non-combustible material.

A study published in 2019 warned a HPL-clad tower could be responsible for the next Grenfell Tower-style disaster.

The then ward councillor for Victory Hill, Cllr Jack Cousens, previously told The Gazette action to make these buildings safe was taking too long.

The independent councillor said: “Speed is of the essence. These residents have for too long had cladding which has been declared unsafe. The dragging of heels in terms of getting this cladding off is taking far too long.

“That should be the priority, working very quickly.”

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s cabinet member for homes and families, Cllr Tristan Robinson, downplayed the revelations, saying: “Last year, on behalf of the government, the council reported on all materials on the outside of privately owned residential buildings in the borough over 18 metres and sent the results back to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. No concerns were raised by the ministry as a result of these reports."

The Conservative councillor said: “However, the cladding that is only on the outside of the penthouses on the top floor of three blocks at Winterthur Way was disclosed as having potentially combustible material. To reassure residents, this was not the same cladding that was on Grenfell, as an earlier survey had established that no high-rise residential buildings in the borough had that.“

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has inspected the five blocks that failed safety check surveys at Winterthur Way and concluded that:

• The general standard within these blocks was good and the management company is engaged and cooperative
• The management company has taken reasonable steps to mitigate the risk of the External Wall Systems following the failed EWS reports and they have a plan in place to remediate the cladding
• The outcome of the inspections was satisfactory