The specific kind of cladding used on Grenfell Tower that allowed the deadly blaze to spread rapidly, has been banned from use five years after the tragedy, the Government has announced. Fire safety guidance published on Wednesday means that metal composite material panels with unmodified polyethylene core, known as MCM PE, will be banned on all new buildings of any height in England.
The cladding was used on the outside of Grenfell Tower, which caught fire on June 14, 2017, claiming the lives of 72 people. A ban on MCM PE previously only applied to buildings higher than 11m (36ft).
The Government will also restrict the types of cladding material used on buildings between 11m and 18m in height, to prevent their construction with combustible materials. Housing Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “We have introduced the biggest improvements to building safety in a generation, under the Building Safety Act.
