Flats' combustible cladding replacement approved

The flats' management company submitted plans for a "cladding remediation scheme"

Plans to remove the combustible cladding on a riverside block of flats have been approved.

An application to replace the external facade of Bonners Raff, near the Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland, were submitted last year.

The building's management company applied to swap "the existing combustible material" on the outside of the building for a "non-combustible" alternative.

"From a fire safety perspective, the building will be made safe and comply with current building regulations," it said.

The flats, off Chandlers Road, comprise 63 homes over eight floors, which are privately owned or rented.

A Sunderland City Council report said the cladding's combustible insulation would be replaced with a "non-combustible mineral wool material".

Timber decking on terraces and balconies would be swapped for aluminium, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Planners said the scheme was acceptable in terms of appearance and impact on residents and was "in keeping with the character of the host property and the area in general".

A planning statement submitted to the council last year said: “The impacts of the proposals to the facade will be none as everything will appear the same as it does now."