Plan to remove flammable cladding from flats

Flammable cladding and parts of balconies on a block of flats will be removed if a planning application is approved.

Developers want to remove the materials on Grand Union House in Stoke Road, Slough, because they "represent a great risk of accelerating the spread of fire".

Beckingford Estates said it wants to comply with tougher safety laws brought in following the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017.

Under the proposal, it would replace combustible insulation and timber cladding and decking used on balconies.

Planning documents state Grand Union House's exterior does not comply with government safety guidance issued in 2020.

The company said it would provide a "more robust and higher quality exterior and considerable improvements to the fire safety of the building".

It does not address why it has not been already been replaced.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted Beckingford Estates for comment through its planning agents.

Slough Borough Council said it has not been in contact with Beckingford Estates regarding remediation work or to enforce safety standards.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was informed of the unsafe cladding system at Grand Union House in July.

The service said that it did not contact the building's owner as it "is already making efforts to carry out the necessary remediation work".

Other Slough residents returned home earlier this month after a fire to their block of flats in August.

Nearly 300 people were evacuated from Mosaic Apartments in High Street on 22 August after a blaze.

Flammable cladding there is due to be removed in January.

Some residents told the BBC they felt uneasy that construction work was still continuing as they moved back.

You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.