The number of towers that have failed fire safety checks in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire has risen to 60, as the government urges councils to submit cladding samples for testing.
So far, all 60 of the cladding samples submitting for combustibility checks at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) have failed the test. BRE is able to test up to 100 samples each day, but the numbers indicate that samples from just 60 of the 600 towers estimated to be at risk have been submitted.
The 60 high-rise buildings are dispersed across 25 councils, with the highest densities in Camden, Sunderland and Manchester. Further towers have been identified across several other London boroughs, as well as in Plymouth and Stockton on Tees. "The fact that all samples so far have failed the tests underlines the value of the testing programme we have set up with the Building Research Establishment to get samples checked properly in the laboratories," said Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.
"It is therefore very important for local authorities and housing associations to continue to submit such samples as a matter of urgency."
Table showing the number of towers failing fire safety checks in local authorities across the UK
The tests follow the discovery that Reynobond PE cladding with a flammable polyethylene core was used at Grenfell Tower. The cladding is believed to have hastened the spread of fire at the London block, which killed 79 when the blaze...