Cladding similar to that which fuelled the devastating fire at London’s Grenfell Tower, claiming the lives of at least 79 residents, has been found at a number of student complexes across the UK.  


StudentTenant.com investigates major reviews conducted by university accommodation providers, as it has emerged that a number of buildings housing students may be fitted with the same flammable cladding.


Newcastle

Following a major student accommodation review, Newcastle University have revealed that the Shield Building, due to open later this year, has been fitted with the same flammable cladding as Grenfell Tower.


It has also been claimed that the privately-run St James’ Point building could also be fitted with the same cladding - although there has been more news released on this claim as of yet.


Bournemouth

Bournemouth University has confirmed that a similar type of cladding has been found on one of their student accommodation complexes. The 16-storey building was developed by Bournemouth and the Kaplan International College, and currently houses nearly 400 students.


It has been reported that the building was previously reviewed for safety in January 2016 following panels falling off the exterior of the complex; however no fire-safety warnings were reported.


Danielle Cullen, Managing Director at StudentTenant.com, comments:

“The safety and welfare of student residents must be of the utmost importance for housing providers and universities, following the devastation caused at Grenfell Tower.


It’s saddening to hear that newly developed buildings, and buildings which have been recently reviewed by professionals, are using the exact same cladding as Grenfell Tower. How have the architects, builders, and providers of the cladding missed how potentially dangerous it is until now? Why has it taken an awful tragedy to highlight how unsafe this is?


University students have been paying three times more for higher education in recent years, but where is that money going? It has been reported that the cladding used is marginally cheaper, but does not have the same fire-proofing as other options. What is the cost of a life? Students lives have been put at risk for a saving of a few thousand pounds”


Essex

A student accommodation complex which houses both students from South Essex College and the University of Essex is currently under review. The accommodation currently houses 561 students, with shared kitchen facilities.


It has not yet been confirmed if the accommodation is similar to that of the Grenfell Tower.


Bath

It has been reported that the University of Bath used the same contractor which was behind the installation of cladding in Grenfell Tower, Rydon. The company delivered a number of refurbishments of purpose-built accommodation, both on and off-campus for the university. However, it has been confirmed by the university that they have not used any of the highly-flammable polyethylene cladding on university buildings.


Coventry

Coventry University has confirmed that none of their student halls has a similar design of thermal cladding to Grenfell Tower.


Bradford

Bradford University students living in high-rise student accommodation have been reassured by the university that the building has been inspected by student housing charity Unipol, and the cladding their accommodation uses does not pose any fire risk.


Danielle continues, “Students need to be assured that their student accommodation is not dangerous, so it’s great to see some universities releasing their findings. I urge other universities to make their cladding reviews a matter of urgency, and share their findings for everyone to see. Students must know how safe their accommodation is, and if there are any problems, they should be fixed immediately.”