Residents fear new rules could mean dangerous cladding is left on blocks of flats
The UK's new PAS9980 rules grade the fire risk of a tower block's cladding system into high, medium, tolerable and low categories. Only high or medium risk buildings must have cladding removed, yet all categories permit flammable cladding. Campaigners say the approach relies too much on assessors employed by owners or developers.
Residents fear new rules could mean dangerous cladding is left on blocks of flats (BBC News).
The new rules, known as PAS9980, grade the fire risk posed by a tower block's cladding system into four categories: high, medium, tolerable, and low. Only those assessed as high or medium risk will require the cladding to be removed, but all categories permit the cladding to be flammable.
Cladding campaigners say this relies too much on the judgement of fire safety assessors, who are not independently appointed and often employed by the building's freeholder or developer. The Ministry of Housing said the changes would speed up the process of removing cladding, providing a more proportionate, clear and consistent approach to a complex issue. The Association of British Insurers says all flammable cladding should be removed. It is nearly ten years since the Grenfell Tower fire, but almost 3,000 tower blocks in the UK with dangerous cladding still need to be fixed.