Home News Cladding at Bainfield flats is ‘same as Grenfell Tower’

Cladding at Bainfield flats is ‘same as Grenfell Tower’

June 27, 2017 3:46 pm

The student flats at Bainfield Halls of Residence in Fountainbridge have been clad with the same type of flammable cladding as that on Grenfell Tower in London. The 24-storey tower block was devastated by fire earlier this month and at least 79 people have been declared dead or missing.

Accommodation blocks at Bainfield, Dundee Street. They were almost fully complete in September 2013.

The flats are owned by Standard Life Investments who lease them to Edinburgh Napier University on a full repairing and insuring lease.

An Edinburgh Napier University spokesperson said: “Following the Grenfell Tower fire in London we immediately began a review of all our buildings.

“A physical inspection identified that around a quarter of the exterior walls on one of our buildings – Bainfield Halls of residence – featured the same cladding reportedly used at Grenfell.

“The insulation materials behind the Bainfield cladding panels are non-combustible, the panel hangings are all made of metal, the wall cavities are properly fire-stopped and the buildings are fitted with sprinklers.

“There are also a range of other fire safety measures in place, including each block having its own exit route, a modern fire alarm and smoke detection system that is tested weekly, and 24-hour on-site security.

“Work has already begun to remove and replace the cladding as a precautionary measure, and we are working closely with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to ensure it is safe to continue to use the building as normal. Residents are not being evacuated.

“In the meantime, we have written to all the current Bainfield tenants about the issue, encouraging them to contact us with any concerns they might have.

“We will also be holding a residents meeting on Wednesday evening (28^th June) to help alleviate any other worries.”

Aerial view of Bainfield student accommodation buildings

Local Green Councillor Gavin Corbett said : “Almost as soon as the Grenfell tragedy happened I had local queries about the cladding used on the buildings at Bainfield. But this news will come as a great shock to the students in Bainfield and the wider community.

“It’s obviously vital that the cladding is replaced urgently and that all fire safety and prevention steps are taken in the meantime. While the fire service advice appears to be that there is no need to evacuate, if there is even a sliver of doubt I believe the university must offer alternative accommodation for those students directly affected.

“One mercy is that that the flats are relatively unoccupied at the moment because of the end of term which means that work can be done as quickly as possible.”

Edinburgh Napier have also stated :

A contractor has been appointed to replace the cladding, and the work is currently expected to take around four weeks.
Students entering the accommodation for the 2017-18 academic year on September 1 will not be affected by the work.
The ‘wood-effect’ exterior cladding being removed – Reynobond PE – is made up of two thin aluminium sheets with a polyethylene filler.
The insulation material behind the cladding is Rockwool, which is a non-combustible product.