Pretty disgraceful state of affairs
Grenfell fire cladding: Number of buildings to fail urgent safety checks soars to 60
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Cladding: The material is believed to have been one of the reasons the fire spread so quickly Jeremy Selwyn
The Government has now confirmed that sixty high-rise buildings in 25 local authority areas have failed fire cladding safety tests, the Government has said.
Local authorities ordered urgent checks of the material used on the buildings after police confirmed that the cladding on Grenfell Tower contributed to the fast-spreading fire.
The number has been steadily rising all weekend and has almost doubled since Saturday.
The announcement came after Communities Secretary Sajid Javid revealed all of the buildings that have so far submitted cladding samples have failed combustibility tests.
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Tests: Sampls of the cladding have been sent off for tests (AP)
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said Doncaster, Norwich, Stockton-on-Tees and Sunderland all had buildings that failed tests, while Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth have already been named.
Islington, Lambeth and Wandsworth joined Barnet, Brent, Camden and Hounslow on the growing list of London boroughs, while 11 other areas are yet to be named.
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Chalcots Estate resident accosts Camden Leader Georgia Gould
Camden Council leader Georgia Gould said around 200 residents from 120 households were still refusing to leave their homes in four tower blocks evacuated in the Chalcots Estate in north London.
She took the decision to clear 600 flats on Friday night after London Fire Brigade inspecting officers identified concerns over the combination of external cladding, fire doors, gas pipes and insulation.
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Up to three thousand people were evacuated from the tower blocks (EPA)
Around 60 people stayed in nearby Swiss Cottage leisure centre on Saturday night, as 3,000 displaced residents faced weeks in temporary accommodation.
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Tensions mount as residents refuse to leave unsafe tower blocks
Ms Gould explained some residents have issues, including agoraphobia, and want to be sure they have got suitable accommodation before moving out of their flats.
"I'm going myself back to the blocks to knock on doors and have those conversations," she told BBC News.
She added: "The last thing I want to do is force people out of their homes, and the conversations I have been having with residents in these buildings is that they are happy to work with us."
The council said it could take two to four weeks for the four blocks to be made safe.
Notting Hill Grenfell Tower Fire - In pictures
Ms Gould said they have more hotel spaces and 100 flats of their own properties on Maiden Lane which they have just built, becoming available for residents on Monday.
Cladding investigation - London tower blocks
Chalcots Estate, Swiss Cottage - Camden Council evacuated four of five tower blocks after firefighters said they could not guarantee the safety of the buildings due to concerns over fire doors, gas pipes and insulation, combined with external cladding.
Three towers in Barnet, north-east London - Found to have similar rain screen panels on their cladding as Grenfell Tower, which are to be removed.
The Granville Point, Harpenmead Point and Templemead Point blocks were reclad in 2012, Barnet Council said. On Friday, a spokesman confirmed the cladding would come down as a "precaution".
Tower Hamlets Council said cladding on
Denning Point tower block "did not fully comply with the requirements" of the safety tests. The building is covered by the fire ******ant version of the aluminium composite material (ACM) panels, according to a joint statement from the council and owners EastendHomes but, after an inspection with London Fire Brigade, a 24/7 fire patrol has been introduced to inspect communal areas through the night.
Rivers Apartments, in Tottenham - Newlon Housing Trust confirmed the 22-storey block has the same cladding reportedly used on Grenfell Tower. But it said, after an "extensive safety audit", London Fire Brigade confirmed the tower block would be considered a "low fire risk" after modifications and technical clarifications.
Braithwaite House, Islington - Islington Council said cladding was to be removed from one of eight blocks tested after it was found to have ACM. Test results from Harvist Estate and Brunswick Estate are yet to be returned, a spokesman said.
Ferrier Point tower in Newham, east London - one of three buildings found to have cladding panels with ACM in the borough, it is understood. Refurbishment on the building, including cladding, was overseen by Rydon, the company involved in the refit of Grenfell Tower. The insulation behind the cladding was said to be highly fire-resistant Rockwool Duoslab.
Clements Court, Hounslow - Cladding on the tower failed the fire-safety test and will be removed "as soon as possible", the borough's council said. A fire watch patrol will be set up by the authority and safety tests will be carried out on homes.
Castlemaine Tower in Battersea - Wandsworth Council announced on Saturday that external cladding, which did not meet current fire safety standards, would be removed from the block as quickly as possible. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) concluded the building was safe for residents following an "exhaustive" inspection of the building, a council spokesman said. The local authority said more than 100 high-rise housing blocks in Wandsworth are to be fitted with sprinkler systems, while it was awaiting tests from Sudbury House on Saturday. Both blocks are being monitored by fire marshals 24 hours a day.
The Government said the boroughs of
Brent and Lambeth each had one building that has failed cladding tests.
