Hockmore Tower: Recladding to make block of flats safer completed

Work on Hockmore Tower was due to start in January 2020 but was delayed

Work to replace the cladding on a tower block that failed a fire safety test is complete.

Oxford City Council announced the £1m project to replace the high-pressure laminate (HPL) rain screen on Hockmore Tower last summer, which covered half the building.

It has been replaced with a sheet aluminium rain screen instead.

The safety of retro-fitted cladding came into question after 72 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

Work was due to start in January 2020 but delayed 10 months while architects reviewed safety measures.

The council and the fire service said the eight-floor block was safe to live in during the works, due to the sprinkler system and other measures.

'Top priority'

A small amount of rain screen was also removed from the Evenlode and Windrush towers in Blackbird Leys.

The cladding was installed on all the towers between 2016 and 2017 as part of a £22.5m council project to improve the buildings.

Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing, said: "With completion of the work to replace potentially unsafe HPL panels at Hockmore Tower, all five of our tower blocks now feature only aluminium sheet rain screen - the safest type of rain screen.

"Oxford City Council will not compromise on fire safety in our tower blocks. The safety of tenants and leaseholders in their homes will continue to be our absolute top priority as a landlord."

The council has not responded to the BBC regarding the cost of the recladding project.