At least eight buildings in Bristol still pose a fire risk to tenants five years after the Grenfell Tower fire which claimed dozens of lives, according to a campaign group. A map created by Building Safety Crisis suggests that several buildings in Bristol still have unsafe cladding on them which could be dangerous if they were to set on fire.
It comes as this week marked the fifth anniversary of June 14, 2017, when a fire at a tower block in London killed 72 people. It later emerged that the cladding on the building was unsafe in the event of a blaze.
And the Building Safety Crisis map, which was last updated in January 2022, shows buildings with unsafe cladding dotted around Bristol. There are also two in the North Somerset area.
Read more: Bristol has less firefighters than before Grenfell Tower disaster
In June 2021, the map showed 17 buildings in Bristol with dangerous cladding. The website also highlights the financial problems that people living in these buildings can face.
It says: "As well as these buildings posing an immediate fire risk to residents, flat owners find themselves facing extensive and costly remedial work, rocketing buildings insurance premiums, and the possibility of 'waking watches': paying people to patrol buildings 24/7 to check for fires."
It adds that mortgage lenders "have ceased to lend money for the purchase of many properties unless their owners can prove the building is safe". This is usually done by way of an external wall fire survey, known as EWS1 form.
A public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire is ongoing and a second report is expected to arrive next year. A memorial service wwas held at the base of the tower yesterday.
