Ocean Crescent tower block cladding fire risk found

The tower block houses 123 apartments

Another city tower block is set to have cladding replaced due to fire-risk concerns following the fatal Grenfell blaze in London.

Combustible material has been found in the walls at Ocean Crescent in The Crescent, Plymouth.

The 11-storey building has offices on the ground floor and 123 apartments.

Bailey Partnership on behalf of The Crescent (Plymouth) Management Company Limited, has submitted a planning application to replace the cladding.

Investigations in 2020 discovered combustible materials had been used in the construction of the external walls.

The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 caused 72 deaths and led to a national review of the safety of cladding on tall buildings, following the discovery that combustible cladding and defects in the building design had helped the fire spread.

Regulations were updated in 2018 to ban the use of combustible materials in buildings more than 59ft (18m) high.

The Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people in 2017

A planning application to remove the existing cladding and replace it at Ocean Crescent has been submitted to Plymouth City Council.

The work will see combustible cladding and wall insulation replaced with "fire safe" materials and the fitting of cavity barriers and closers around windows.

A statement with the planning application by Bailey Partnership on behalf of The Crescent (Plymouth) Management Company Limited, said the premises "may be considered of medium-to-high risk in case of fire".

In February a planning application was submitted to replace combustible cladding on the upper floors of Central Park Towers, a student flats development between Central Park and the station.

External cladding has been replaced on the Mount Wise Towers at Devonport, three residential blocks managed by Plymouth Community Homes.

The government has announced a £5m fund and said it would pay for the removal of unsafe cladding for leaseholders in all residential buildings in England higher than 59ft (18m), or six storeys.