Stephen has signed a letter with West Ham MP, Lyn Brown, to the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick expressing their concerns about ongoing cladding issues in the borough.
The letter was written in response to a recent finding that around 2,000 buildings remain covered with flammable cladding, three years on from Grenfell. Both MPs highlight that Newham has many buildings that are deemed “high risk”, before voicing their residents’ frustration at the “slow pace of government support”.
Stephen and Lyn pointed to a worrying situation at Lumiere Building in Forest Gate: “A report previously found that five different types of cladding used on its exterior — including Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) — did not conform to building regulations. “It will cost around £30,000 per leaseholder for the removal and replacement of the cladding. A planning application has been made for the remedial works, but this has been delayed due to Covid-19.”
Such delays could prove fatal, as evidenced by the recent fire at Ferrier Point in Canning Town, in which 100 people were evacuated.
The MPs have asked the Housing Secretary for a meeting to discuss these issues, without delay.
To read the letter, click here.