Agenda item

Mark Norris provided members with an update on the work being carried out post-Grenfell and gave details about the number of social housing high-rise buildings which had already had unsafe cladding removed and those which were in the process of having it removed. He noted the need for clearer guidance for local authorities about what materials could replace the unsafe cladding and support for authorities being asked by insurance companies whether replacement materials had gone through a full safety test by the Buildings Research Establishment (BRE). The LGA was pressing the Government to commit BRE to publish a set of materials which had passed their tests and was also seeking clarity on the test results of those which had failed. Members were told that there were a number of bodies in the industry providing guidance on replacement materials but that the recommendations needed to be consistent. The LGA was also continuing to lobby the Government for additional funding.

In terms of privately owned high-rise buildings, the survey councils had been undertaking for DCLG indicated that there were a larger number of buildings affected than there was in the social housing sector. Some building owners had already sent materials off for testing and a number had been cleared as safe, but it was thought that there was a group of around 2000+ buildings awaiting inspection to identify whether they have cladding for a variety of reasons including reduced capacity and resources. Discussions with the Government about local authorities’ legal powers were ongoing and legal advice was being sought to clarify these powers. Once established, guidance would be made available to the sector on what powers they had and where responsibility would lie for funding remedial work should private owners not be able to afford to pay.

Members were told that Dame Judith Hackitt’s interim report on the review of building regulations was expected in early December and initial indications suggested that she viewed the system as not being fit for purpose. The LGA would be looking at the report in detail and would provide a further update at the next Board meeting in January.

Members made the following comments:

·         Members felt it was important that the list of buildings which had failed the ACM cladding tests was published.

·         Members liked the idea of updating building regulations but expressed concern that competition between local authorities and private sector building regulations operators could lead to a lowering of standards. The KiteMark accreditation scheme was discussed at the previous meeting but it wasn’t covered in the LGA’s submission to the review. Mark said he would look at that and ensure it was included as part of the submission into the inquiry into the cause of the Grenfell fire.

·         Members discussed sprinklers and asked how many of the social housing blocks which had had cladding removed would have sprinklers retrofitted. Mark explained that the LGA had some anonymised indicative figures on council blocks that would have sprinklers retrofitted but the approach between councils varied due to the particular circumstances of each block, where the need to move people out while work was done, and the presence of asbestos could all complicate the process.

·         Concerns were raised about there being an insufficient number of qualified building inspectors to carry out all of the inspections required and there were not enough fire engineers to deal with fire safety requirements. Members felt that the LGA needed to make sure that recommendations coming out of the review included an improved inspection regime for tower blocks, ensuring there were enough qualified individuals to deal with demand and better training for new inspectors. It was suggested that building owners should pay for ongoing inspections to reduce the burden on local authorities.

Decision

Members noted the update.

Action

Officers to consider points raised by members when writing the LGA’s submission to the public inquiry into the cause of the fire at Grenfell Tower.