'We fear tragedy will strike before cladding goes'

Jane Randle has campaigned outside the headquarters of developer Weston Homes

People living in a block of flats fear a tragedy will strike before unsafe cladding is removed from their building.

Residents of Morello Quarter, in Basildon, Essex were told their building posed a "high risk to life" in a safety report after the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

Seven years after the disaster, the 3,000 people living at the 346-flat development were still waiting for remedial works to begin.

Weston Homes, which is responsible for the scheme, said it was "committed to carrying out and covering the cost" of the safety project.

Residents had previously been issued with enforcement notices by the fire service but later won a legal fight to delay the order.

The government pledged to cover the cost of remedial works but later implored Weston Homes to do so instead.

Weston Homes said it was awaiting planning permission before starting the remedial works

Jennifer Viccars, a leaseholder who sits on the residents' management committee, said she ultimately wanted "a concrete building with no combustible materials".

"Sadly for us, the developer is not willing to fund anything like the design the government was willing to," she told the BBC.

Fellow resident Jane Randle has continued to campaign outside the headquarters of Weston Homes.

"Imagine this for yourself - you’re living in your house and somebody comes along with liquid paraffin and starts painting the outside walls of your kitchen, your bedroom and says, 'you’ll be all right'," she said.

Jennifer Viccars has been calling for action since the fire safety report was published in 2020

A spokesperson for Weston Homes said the introduction of a new building safety regulator procedure at the start of 2024 meant a "very detailed application" had to be made prior to starting the works.

They said the application would be submitted this month.

"Weston Homes are aware of the urgency with which the residents wish this to be resolved and our team is ready to commence the works," they added.

Earlier, the final report was published after an inquiry into the deaths of 72 people in the Grenfell Tower fire.

It found the tragedy was the result of "dishonest" companies, failures by successive governments and a lack of strategy by the fire service.

Lord Pickles was Housing Secretary from 2010 to 2015

There was also criticism levelled at former Brentwood and Ongar MP Lord Pickles, who was secretary of state in the department responsible for building regulations.

The inquiry found Lord Pickles oversaw a culture focused on deregulation, where civil servants felt unable to raise concerns about fire safety, PA Media reported.

Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said there was a "wealth of material" to show Lord Pickles was an "ardent supporter" of deregulation.

"The pressure within the department to reduce red tape was so strong that civil servants felt the need to put it at the forefront of every decision," he added.