The new Salford factory which could help end a nightmare thousands in Greater Manchester are trapped in
by Declan Carey · Manchester Evening NewsThe cladding crisis in Greater Manchester has affected thousands of lives. More than 150 buildings around the region remain in 'interim measures' due to safety risks, with work to make them safe often taking years to complete.
Fire safety measures and evacuation procedures have been put in place for the buildings most at risk, with 'waking watch' staff on constant alert in case a fire breaks out. Around the UK, it is thought there are thousands of buildings in the same situation.
Greater Manchester's mayor Andy Burnham said the situation needs government intervention - and has called for a meeting with deputy prime minister and Ashton MP Angela Rayner over the issue.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) this week that the situation needs "end solutions, not interim measures," adding that work has to begin straight away.
On Tuesday, the mayor opened a new fire testing facility in Irlam, where work is taking place which he believes could speed up the process of ending the region's cladding nightmare.
Tenmat's 180,000 square feet factory has more than 200 members of staff who work around the clock on fire safety.
For more than 100 years the company was based at its original site down the road in Trafford Park, and there is hope that its new facility could help to save lives in Greater Manchester and across the country.
"It's work that is needed at this moment in time," Mr Burnham said after a tour of the facilities.
"The materials I've seen demonstrated today are clearly highly effective in preventing the spread of fires within buildings, and actually should have been fitted in the past.
"We haven't had that, with people floating building regulations. But if this material is properly fitted, the amount of fires that would be prevented, and the amount of lives that would be saved, is enormous."
But around the region, tenants and leaseholders say they are still battling for answers about when their homes will be made safe.
Meanwhile, some buildings such as Thorn and Spruce Court in Salford have been left covered in scaffolding while fire safety work takes place, with residents in other blocks around the region left in the dark about when dangerous cladding might be removed.
Part of the problem is the complex way many apartment blocks are owned and managed, often with several companies involved in making major decisions.
Giles Grover, from the Manchester Cladiators campaign group, said the "several funding schemes" that exist are complicated, and holding up the vital work from starting.
He added: "We need the Labour government to show it has the political will to recognise this and to move quickly to protect us all from costs to fix safety defects we played no part in causing."
Ed Peltor, managing director at Tenmat, said part of the problem is that each of Greater Manchester's 150 buildings in special measures will require a unique solution. He said central government intervention could be the piece of the jigsaw that has been missing for years.
"It's difficult because talk about the cladding being wrong, but each of those 150 buildings will have different issues, they won't all be identically wrong," he told the LDRS.
"Of those buildings I think we should solve them because it is within our ability as a modern society to help where we can. Unfortunately, business seems to be slowing it down.
"Andy and I were talking about whether the government should take it over and do it, like we built all those houses post world war. When you think of all the things we spend money on as a country, that would be a tiny cost.
"It's feasible to resolve so it seems a shame that they don't. But the work taking place here will help save lives across the country, absolutely."
The government says it will reveal its plan this autumn to speed up the pace of work on fixing dangerous cladding. For the thousands of people affected around Greater Manchester, it could offer some hope after years of frustration and delay.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson added: "The progress on remediation has been too slow – which is why we are taking action to ensure that dangerous buildings are dealt with urgently.
"We are ramping up work with regulators and local authorities, with plans to accelerate the pace of remediation to be announced this autumn.
"The full force of government will be brought to bear to make sure building owners fix this and people have the safe and secure homes that they deserve."