Grenfell Tower fire: Housing blocks in Barking and Dagenham do not have the same cladding

Fire safety checks are being carried out in council housing blocks in Barking and Dagenham. PICTURE: LBBD Council (Image: Archant)

The council is anxious to reassure residents that whilst four of the council blocks in the borough do have cladding, it is both a different type and applied in a different way to that of the west London tower that burned down last week.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of the Council, said: “While we wait to hear from the fire brigade about the cause of the fire and how it spread, we know that cladding has been talked about a lot and it’s something that’s been worrying our residents.

“The cladding we use is a higher fire standard to that used on Grenfell Tower and this is really important for anyone living in a block who might be concerned.”

The council has amped up its fire safety programme since the devastating fire in Kensington last Wednesday, which has claimed at least 79 lives with the death toll expected to arise.

All council blocks that are eight stories or higher have had a new fire risk assessment if they hadn’t had one in the last hree months.

Cllr Rodwell added: “Our officers have been out visiting blocks to reassure residents that we’re taking this seriously and to ensure that communal areas are clear of anything that could block a fire escape route.”

Checks are also being done on the cladding of non-residential council buildings, which should be completed by the end of tomorrow.

“Needless to say we need to hear what the experts say and we’ll be following any advice given to ensure our blocks are as safe as possible,” Cllr Rodwell said.

The council will be posting updates on the situation on their website when it becomes available. In the meantime, people are being advised to follow London Fire Brigade’s official advice about how to prevent and react to fires.