New cladding for Portsmouth tower block after fire risk assessment post-Grenfell fire

Vivid has applied to Portsmouth City Council for planning permission for the work to 6 Portsmouth Road, which has a ground floor Anytime Fitness gym below seven storeys of flats.

The scheme will see the building’s combustible cladding and balcony decking replaced with a non-combustible alternative to meet the requirements of the EWS1 certificate introduced in 2018 in the wake of the Grenfell fire to reassure mortgage lenders.

The Grenfell fire in 2017 claimed the lives of 72 people in the west London tower block.

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‘An initial external wall fire safety inspection undertaken at the building…revealed that the external wall systems have a detrimental impact on the overall fire safety of the building and that remedial works are required,’ fire engineer Tony Cash said in a report commissioned by Vivid. ‘The report concluded that the building had not achieved an adequate standard of safety and recommended that it will be necessary to carry out remedial works.’

Under the plans submitted to the council, the current light grey cladding and balcony decking would be replaced with a darker ‘fire resilient’ Rockpanel material which it said would also improve the building’s appearance.

In a statement submitted with its application, Vivid said the work was needed to make sure the building remains at a ‘high standard and is safe and habitable’ and would make sure it is ‘safe for residents for years to come; this is a significant benefit of the proposals’.

‘Following a recent survey, it has been confirmed that there is a health and safety risk to the occupants and neighbouring community due to the combustible nature of some of the existing materials,’ it said. ‘As such, the proposal seeks to replace the existing combustible insulated cladding panels with new non-combustible panels…This is necessary to provide a safe, fit-for-purpose residential environment.’

The council has set a deadline of May 19 for reaching a decision on whether to approve the scheme.