Camden Council has announced it is removing external cladding from five tower blocks in the Chalcots Estate.

The material is being removed after tests revealed the outer cladding panels are made up of aluminium panels with a polyethylene core, a similar plastic suspected of contributing towards the Grenfell Tower blaze.

Contractor Rydon carried out a refit of the tower blocks between May 2006 and October 2009.

In a statement, Council Leader Georgia Gould said the panels that were fitted "were not to the standard that we had commissioned".

"The arrangement of the cladding and insulation used on Camden Council's buildings significantly differs from that on Grenfell Tower," she said.

"It includes fire-resistant rock wool insulation designed to prevent the spread of fire and fire resistant sealant between floors, designed to stop a high-intensity flat fire from spreading to neighbouring flats. This arrangement previously contained a fire at a flat in Taplow block in 2012. These are significant and proven arrangements to stop the spread of fire.


"The new results from the laboratory show that the outer cladding panels themselves are made up of aluminium panels with a polyethylene core.

"Therefore the panels that were fitted were not to the standard that we had commissioned. In light of this, we will be informing the contractor that we will be taking urgent legal advice.

"Whilst we are clear that our cladding design and insulation significantly differs to that at Grenfell Tower, the external cladding panels did not satisfy our independent laboratory testing or the high standards we set for contractors. Camden Council has decided it will immediately begin preparing to remove these external cladding panels from the five tower blocks on the Chalcots Estate."

Cllr Georgia Gould added that the local authority will carry out 24/7 fire safety patrols on the estate's corridors "to reassure residents and carry out enhanced fire safety checks".

"This additional assessment work includes a sweep of corridors to make sure they are clear of obstructions and anything that is potentially flammable," she continued.

"We will also be working with residents to test white goods (PAT testing), assessing fire doors in properties and we will be providing fire safety advice to residents.

"We are working side-by-side with our housing groups and the London Fire Brigade and we remain ready to respond to any changes to national fire safety advice."

(LM/MH)