In June 2022 we marked the five years since the Grenfell Fire when 72 people including 18 children tragically died.
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has warned developers in Newham to act urgently to complete work to remove all outstanding unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding in blocks, and required fire safety works or face prosecution by Newham Council. Read the full letter.
There is a helpful frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) page that explains the terms that we are using and some technical details around this complicated issue.
The FAQs cover specific items:
- Remediation works and associated costs
- Progress on cladding remediation
- Enforcing remediation
- Impact on residents
- Issues with selling flats
The Council has two key responsibilities in terms of cladding and fire safety:
- As owners and managers of Council residential blocks
- As the regulatory authority alongside the London Fire Brigade for significant hazards in privately owned tall blocks (18 metres plus in height which is normally 6 stories and above.)
Council blocks:
There are no Newham Council blocks over 18m tall that have ACM cladding.
Privately owned blocks:
We are monitoring on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities (DLUH&C) the number of privately owned buildings with ACM, other unsafe cladding or other fire safety issues.
The duty to remove any dangerous material from those privately owned blocks is the duty of the private landlord or developer and not the Council.
We regularly monitor any safety issues in privately owned blocks over 18 metres and share the information with the Government. We are aware of 256 private residential tall blocks, (of over 18 metres) in the borough. The Government’s Building Safety Fund has approved funding for work on buildings which is ongoing.
What is the Government’s latest approach?
The Government latest update on its new approach is set out in the publication: Building safety: remediation and funding - government response to the Select Committee reports
Cladding Building safety FAQs (PDF)
Fire safety at home
Cooking - Fire safety at home | London Fire Brigade (london-fire.gov.uk)
Candles - Fire safety at home | London Fire Brigade (london-fire.gov.uk)
E-scooters and E-bikes | London Fire Brigade (london-fire.gov.uk)