Plan launched to speed up removal of unsafe cladding from region’s tower blocks

A plan to fix unsafe blocks of flats faster and prevent another Grenfell tragedy has been launched with a call for residents and stakeholders to have their say.

The West Midlands Remediation Acceleration Plan has been drawn up to get flammable cladding removed from all residential buildings of 11 metres or above as quickly as possible and reduce the risk of fire.

It follows on from the Grenfell Inquiry Report, published a year ago, which asked Mayoral Combined Authorities to bring together key partners, including local fire services and councils, to coordinate action to tackle the issue.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, held a Building Safety Roundtable in July with affected residents.

The Mayor said: “I’ve listened to heartbreaking stories from residents about the impact living in an unsafe building is having on their lives.

“The Grenfell Tower tragedy must always remain in our minds as a stark example of what can happen when safety is not put first. That’s why we’ve been working with partner agencies to get the remediation process sped up, so we can ensure nothing like this ever happens again. Everyone deserves a safe home.”

The plan was launched by Cllr Sharon Thompson, Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands, at the Building Safer Future Conference held at the West Midlands Fire Service HQ. Those attending included residents affected by the issue as well as fire and council officers.

From left Julian Wilks, WMCA’s remediation acceleration plan coordinator, Professor Mike Leanord – Birmingham City University, Area Commander Gemma McSweeney, head of protection for West Midlands Fire Service, Cllr Sharon Thompson, Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands, Leo Pollak, WMCA head of policy, housing, property & regeneration and Tim Galloway – deputy director, Building Safety Regulator

It sets out three key priorities for the region:

• Fix buildings faster by increasing enforcement capacity to ensure all residential buildings above 11 metres in height have combustible and unsafe external cladding fully remediated or reduced to a ‘tolerable’ risk level
• Increase monitoring to identify buildings with unsafe cladding
• Support our residents throughout the remediation process.

Area Commander Gemma McSweeney, head of protection for West Midlands Fire Service, said: “Residents’ safety is at the heart of everything we do.

“We know the impact unsafe buildings can have on residents and communities, which is why the Remediation Acceleration Plan is a vital step in making sure dangerous cladding is removed at pace.

“We remain focused on ensuring compliance and, by working closely with our partners, we can give residents greater reassurance, so they feel safe in their homes.”

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is now asking stakeholders about how best to deliver the plan and residents for their views on the challenges they face and what support they need as the work continues.

This regional plan complements the National Remediation Acceleration Plan, published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government in July.