Grenfell Tower fire: Government extends cladding testing after criticism of 100 per cent failure rate

The Government has announced it will extend its cladding testing programme in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, after facing heavy criticism that its methods were too simplistic.

At least 200 samples from high-rise blocks in 54 local authorities have failed testing, according to a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) spokesperson. Buildings at three separate NHS trusts have also failed tests.

But the 100 per cent failure rate has led many to question the testing methods.

Tests had previously been limited to the core of the panels and not the structure as a whole, which sources told The Independent would not form an accurate picture of how a building would react in a fire.

The Government announced earlier this week that testing would be extended to six aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems, the type of panel that is believed to have aided the rapid spread of the blaze in north Kensington which killed 80 people last month.

Experts will now look at how different varieties of cladding insulation with different types of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) panels react in a fire, including unmodified polyethylene, fire retardant polyethylene, and non-combustible mineral, a DCLG spokesperson said.

The tests will now involve building a 30ft (9m) high demonstration wall with a complete cladding system and subjecting it to conditions which replicate "a severe fire".

Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) said he was pleased the panel had responded to concerns by making "much-needed changes".

He said: "Councils worked speedily to send samples of ACM cladding for testing. These showed that only 10 per cent of the 166 councils which own their housing stock have high-rise buildings with confirmed ACM cladding.

"But we have been clear all along that entire cladding panels and the insulation behind them need to be fire tested together as a system, rather than just the core of the panels on their own."

Private landlords were also urging the government to extend the testing to different types of cladding, not just ACM, to calm the fears of worried residents.

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) is carrying out the testing on behalf of DCLG but a spokesperson told Inside Housing magazine that the organisation is only testing ACM panels.

Landlords have reportedly been told non-ACM cladding is not being prioritised, despite communities secretary Sajid Javid urging local authorities to send in samples as soon as possible.

In a letter to Mr Javid, Lib Peck, leader of Labour-led Lambeth Council, said: “Why is this ACM testing continuing when it is clear that all will fail? Surely we need to establish whether other forms of cladding are combustible?”

Nick Murphy, chief executive of Nottingham City Homes, told Inside Housing: “Where I think things have got really confused is where they are making statements about 100 per cent of tower blocks failing…I can see how that is worrying for tenants.”

It comes as a two housing providers in Salford suspended the removal of cladding from its high-rise blocks because of "unclear" Government advice.

Salix Homes followed City West Housing Trust in halting work on buildings that failed Government fire safety tests.

It said it was "acting in line" with other housing providers across the country.

Eight tower blocks operated by Salix were among 29 in Salford to not pass the combustibility tests, the highest of any local authority area in England disclosed by the DCLG.