List of student accommodation with Grenfell 'fire risk' cladding released

Image courtesy of: ChiralJon, Flickr.

A report by the Sunday Times has revealed 18 student accommodation buildings with potentially life-threatening fire-prone cladding.

The report, published on 24 November, has identified eighteen student accommodation buildings with the combustible cladding material used on the Grenfell Tower.

Stephen Kamara, the BAME Network Chair at Kent Union, said: “If something is an instigator of a fire, it shouldn’t be used. There is 100% negligence on health and safety measures by some private accommodation providers and it shouldn’t be happening.”

He added that cladding is an issue that not many people have knowledge on.

The University of Kent’s student accommodation is not listed as one as one of the eighteen accommodations in the Times report.

However, student accommodation in Leicester, Portsmouth, and Newcastle.

The head of Accommodation and Customer Services at Kent Hospitality, Laura Maclean, emphasised that there are no health and safety concerns.

She added that the university’s top priority was ensuring the safety of students and staff, and that students are more than welcome to speak to Kent Hospitality on campus if they have any queries about campus accommodation.

The fire at The Cube student accommodation in Bolton broke out on the 16th of November last year and saw nearly 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines tackling the fire.

According to one witness the fire “climbed up” the building, resulting in two people being hurt and as many as 100 students being evacuated.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has confirmed that the cladding used on The Cube was not the same as at Grenfell the issue of cladding.

However, following the Bolton fire several student groups have called for the Government to take action.

The National Union of Students (NUS) wrote a letter addressed to the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

The letter expresses the great concern posed by private accommodation for university students with ‘companies chasing profits’ and are “not doing all they can to ensure the safety of students.”