My Basket 
Last week, a large fire took over a block of flats in Dagenham affecting the lives of over 100 residents. Considering this, we are going to be looking at government plans for further housing development, and the desperate need for increased attention to the 2,300 private and 717 social housing properties that still have unsafe external cladding. As excitement builds for the 1.5 million new houses promised by Labour, existing structures that are unsafe, and pose a serious threat to life, should not be forgotten.
Fire in Dagenham.
Early on Monday 26th of August a fire broke out in a block of flats in Dagenham. The Spectrum building comprised of eight stories; the ground floor was commercial units, and residential flats made up the rest of the building.
The Spectrum building was in the process of having non-compliant cladding removed from it’s exterior. While the cause of the fire is not known at this time (30th August 2024), an extensive investigation into the cause and spread of the fire will be undertaken.
It is notable that the building did not comply with building standards at the time it was constructed. The fire safety of the building was a cause of concern for many residents as well as the London Fire Brigade, who issued an enforcement notice to the building management company in April 2023. This enforcement notice was related to the management companies’ failure to complete regular fire assessments, the inadequate emergency routes and exits, and the lack of maintenance of firefighting equipment within the building. While this report does not mention the external cladding specifically, written evidence submitted by the Resident’s Association demonstrates that in September 2020 an external wall survey found that the building did not meet regulatory requirements.
The Grenfell Group calls on the government to speed up building safety remediation. They argue that it is unacceptable for building safety works to be continually stalled when there is a threat to human life.
Remedial work on non-fire safety compliant external cladding.
Building have compiled a report on the UK buildings that still require urgent remedial works due to external cladding that does not meet fire safety standards.
- Of the 4630 identified housing blocks that are 11m or taller and have unsafe cladding, only 1350 have had remedial work completed.
- 949 have started remediation work.
- 2331 housing blocks have not had any remedial work started.
- Of the 2414 identified social housing blocks that are 11m or taller and have unsafe cladding, 1208 have had remedial work started or completed.
- 717 social housing blocks have not had any remedial work started.
These remedial projects, withstanding improving the welfare of resident’s lives and value of their properties, is also a big opportunity for many skilled labourers. These large-scale projects will require the expertise of Britain’s scaffolders, builders, and carpenters to ensure that the existing cladding is removed safely, and, in some cases, new fire-safe cladding is installed.
Specialist building merchants, such as Edge, can supply external cladding that is fully compliant with fire safety standards. We supply and recommend Hardie Plank cladding, a fibre cement cladding board that is non-combustible and fire safety compliant. Available in a great range of colours, and with a realistic wood finish, Hardie Plank cladding demonstrates that cladding can not only look great but also provide additional fire protection for a building.
If you would like more information on the external cladding we supply, please email [email protected] or call us on 0345 021 3333
By expediting remedial works on these 2331 private and 717 social housing blocks, private and social landlords will not only prevent further tragedies for their residents, but also provide a wealth of opportunities to work for the construction section.
Government pushes forward with new housing developments.
It was recently announced that Angela Rayner has set up an ‘accelerator team’. This team will be comprised of 15 dedicated officials who will be working to remove the blocks to existing development plans. So far, 200 sites have been identified as being stalled due to planning issues or lack of approval. These 200 sites have the potential to provide 300,000 houses.
The new ‘accelerator team’ will be working with local authorities and housebuilders to resolve the existing issues and push forward development plans. The team are also encouraging local authorities, housebuilders, and landowners to submit details of sites being blocked by significant planning issues.
The government aims to resolve the local and planning issues which are blocking large housing developments and get ‘shovels to the ground’ to begin working towards their ambitious housing targets.
Final Thoughts
It is an exciting time to be working in the housing and construction sector. There is expected to be a huge increase in the number of site developments over the coming months, therefore providing local builders and contractors with new work.
We are on hand to help our local builders by providing quality, low maintenance building products for these new projects. Our Sales Reps visit sites, chat to our customers, and ensure that they are getting discounted pricing on the items they use most. If you are looking for aluminum trims in 5m lengths, or cast-iron style guttering, we are here to help, and can even deliver next day directly to your site.
However, amongst the buzz of new sites and job contracts, there is still a huge backlog of existing buildings that require urgent remedial work. The outbreak of fire at the Spectrum building Dagenham serves as a stark reminder that the Grenfell tragedy will not be a stand-alone event if the buildings with known fire-safety concerns are ignored. Existing stock must be brought into consideration as plans for new properties are being expediated.
News sources:
Housing Today: Dagenham block of flats engulfed by fire had known safety issues since 2020.
BBC: Family fears they’ve ‘lost everything’ as firefighters control blaze in east London.
Building: Rayner sets up accelerator team of officials to boost development on 200 stalled sites.
Building: Remediation of unsafe cladding on 2300 residential buildings yet to start.