Tower block cladding repair wait 'making us ill'

Farah McLaren said she had developed pneumonia twice so far in 2024

A six-year wait for replacement cladding in an estate of tower blocks has left its residents living in misery and dealing with serious health issues, they have told the BBC.

Cladding was stripped from the buildings in Pendleton, Salford, over safety concerns in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which killed 72 people.

Management company Together Housing Group said the repairs were due to be completed by 2025.

Farah McLaren, who lives in one block, said as a result of the conditions, she had developed pneumonia twice in recent months, while fellow resident Alison Aitken said the daily noise caused by those completing the repairs was draining.

The blocks' residents were initially relieved that the cladding was removed, but became steadily more concerned at the lack of progress on replacing it - and first spoke to the BBC about their predicament 18 months ago.

They said they were now struggling to see an end to the situation.

Netting has been placed over much of the buildings while refurbishment work goes on

Ms McLaren showed the BBC patches of mould in her bathroom due to damp and leaks, and said she was suffering regular chest infections.

"When I'm going to the GPs, they are saying a lot of people are coming from this block and the other blocks which have got the cladding taken off," she said.

She said her children were also suffering due to the condition of her flat.

"They will come for the weekend and they will end up having Monday and Tuesday off school with a chest infection," she said.

She added that it was not just health issues that the conditions were causing, as netting placed over her windows during the repairs has made living there "dark and dreary".

"We can't see an end at all at the moment," she said.

Alison Aitken said the ongoing refurbishment work has been wearing her down

Alison Aitken, from the Beech Block on the same site, said the sound of drilling from workmen completing the repairs was draining.

"It's not the workmen's fault, they can't help it, but it's wearing, it certainly is wearing", she said.

Together Housing Group said it had offered additional winter payments to assist with the cost of extra heating and damp reports were "responded to quickly".

Ms Aitken said that while the £50 payment was "very welcome", it "went nowhere to covering the excess".

The blocks are owned by Salford City Council and are managed by Pendleton Together, part of Together Housing Group.

Michelle Allott, executive director for operations at Together Housing Group, apologised for the delays, which she previously attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic and problems only discovered once the cladding was removed.

"It is essential we get these works right so that our residents can be reassured and safe in blocks that conform to modern safety standards," she said.