Flammable cladding on several council tower blocks in Bristol could be removed more quickly than was initially hoped. A fire in 2022 led to fears that many of the dated blocks of flats were clad in material that was unsafe.
Expanded polystyrene cladding was used on 38 tower blocks owned by Bristol City Council across the city. After a blaze at Eccleston House in Barton Hill, Avon Fire and Rescue Service said the EPS cladding contributed to the spread of the fire.
This led to the council deciding to remove EPS cladding from the 38 blocks and replace it with material that wouldn’t burn. While the removal was initially estimated to take a decade, the council is now in talks with the new Labour government to finish the work within just five years.
Nothing is confirmed yet, but the programme could be completed by 2029. An update on the council’s housing budget was given to councillors on the strategy and resources policy committee on Monday, February 3, ahead of its approval by the full council later this month.
John Smith, executive director for growth and regeneration, said: “We are in discussions with Homes England and the government about an acceleration plan. The assumption is that for the acceleration plan, which is five years, the funding would come from the government. It’s positive at the moment, but nothing is confirmed.”
Wider fears over flammable cladding were sparked in 2017, when a fire at Grenfell Tower in London killed 72 people. However the aluminium composite material cladding used on Grenfell was different to the EPS cladding at Eccleston House and the other 37 affected blocks.
Councillor Tom Renhard, leader of the Labour group and former cabinet member for housing, added: “The cladding removal was initially programmed over 10 years, when it was initially signed off in 2023. There’s potentially some extra funding coming nationally that means we’ll be able to go quicker.”