Council blasted on Grenfell cladding
Glasgow City Council has been severely criticised in the Scottish Parliament, after it emerged dozens of high-rise buildings could have the same cladding to that involved in the Grenfell tragedy.
MSPs said the local authority hadn’t been “sufficiently clear” about materials on 57 housing blocks, with housing minister Kevin Stewart describing the secrecy as “unacceptable”.
The extent of the combustible cladding used in the city should be known by Friday, the local government committee heard today.
Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Graham Simpson said the council had “dragged its heels” on the issue, adding it should “up its game considerably”.
It emerged last week that the council had found cladding similar to that involved in the recent Grenfell fire in London, which killed scores of residents.
But the local authority didn’t go public with the findings.
Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Graham Simpson said:
“Glasgow City Council has dragged its heels for weeks on this and has only just accepted help from the Scottish Government.
“All other councils were able to provide the information on which private blocks had Grenfell-type cladding without much fuss, so Glasgow has no excuse.
“They have still to tell residents in the affected blocks and that is unacceptable.
“The council is on probation as far as running the building verification scheme is concerned, and has been warned it may lose that work.
“It has not acquitted itself well and needs to up its game considerably.
“The council’s first duty is to serve the people of Glasgow, not to keep vital information to itself.”