Plans to change unsafe cladding on BBC building

Plans have been submitted to replace potentially unsafe cladding on the sides of the BBC's building in Hull.

Queen's Court in the city centre has 115 flats as well as housing the BBC's television and radio studios.

An inspection in 2021 found the cladding on the building was unsafe and posed a fire risk, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS),

The planning application said the work would "remove combustible elements within the build up of the external walls and replace with non combustible materials."

Documents sent to Hull City Council said that a number of fire safety measures had been put in place at the nine-storey building, which opened in 2004.

These included new evacuation procedures established by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, which have been communicated to all residents.

Other measures included a 24-hour waking watch at the site, ensuring the building was patrolled at all times by two trained fire marshals.

The alarm system in the building was being changed to immediately notify the fire service should it be triggered, rather than a 999 call needing to be made.

Residents have also been told they must not smoke on balconies.

Before and after elevations submitted to the council suggested there would not be any noticeable visual changes if the work was approved, the LDRS said.

The building's managers said the planning application was the result of a "detailed Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls, which identified a combination of combustible materials, missing cavity barriers and historical workmanship concerns".

A spokesperson for Pure Block Management said: "The proposed works are to be funded through the Cladding Safety Scheme, meaning no financial burden will fall on leaseholders or commercial tenants, including the BBC."

They added that work was expected to start later this year or early 2026 and last 18 months with the building remaining "fully operational throughout this period".

A BBC spokesperson said: "We're a tenant in the Queens Court building so this is a matter for our landlords, who we are in close contact with.

"The safety of our staff is always our first priority."

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