'Unsafe' cladding set to be remove from Leamington flats

Warwick District Council’s cabinet – the panel of Green Party and Labour councillors in charge of major service areas – gave professionals authority to seek planning permission to do safety and maintenance work on the high-rise buildings.

The main job is to remove and replace unsafe cladding on Westbrook House, Ashton Court, Southorn Court and Radcliffe Gardens, which will incorporate works to include new insulation and fire barriers. The replacement of windows and work on roofing and ventilation systems will be done at the same time.

Planning permission is required due to the exterior appearance changing with the choice of cladding, window and door materials as well as finishes and colours needing to be policy compliant and the council is not exempt from the need to go through the whole process, including public consultation and asking statutory consultees about the plans. In cases such as these, it typically takes between eight and 10 weeks.

The first one ready to progress is Westbrook House on New Brook Street with residents set to be consulted next week – week commencing Monday, December 9 – before the full planning application is submitted in January.

The council’s report says the others “will be submitted when required and following necessary consultation”.

Councillor Helen Adkins (Lab, Leamington Clarendon), the district’s portfolio holder for housing and assets, said: “This keeps me awake at night, we need to move forward as quickly as possible to get this cladding off.”