The council has approved works to replace potentially dangerous cladding at an apartment block in east Reading.

The “potentially combustible” cladding will be removed from parts of the buildings that make up The Meridian apartment block on Kenavon Drive by the River Kennet.

Applications have also been submitted for cladding at two other sites, both on Alfred Street near the town centre.

READ MORE: Urgent plans submitted to replace ‘high fire risk’ cladding at block of flats

ALSO READ: Works planned to remove potentially dangerous cladding at flats

The cladding at The Meridian will be replaced with new non-combustible cladding.

The Meridian site is made up of four blocks, but the works will only take place at blocks A, B, and C.

The potentially dangerous material will be removed from the high-level perimeter of blocks A & C at The Meridian on Kenavon Drive as well as the perimeter of the small plant room located on the roof of Block B.

Replacement panels will match the existing cladding.

The changes are being proposed to meet the government’s Advice Note 14, which provides guidance for building owners with non-ACM materials in their external wall systems.

Advice Note 14, which was issued in 2018 following the Grenfell Tower tragedy the year before, gives strong guidance to owners of buildings above 18 metres to ensure external wall systems are safe.

This includes advice that cladding and insulation must contain materials of limited combustibility or meet the Building Research Establishment’s BR 135 classification.

Buildings with dangerous Grenfell-style cladding in Reading

Four buildings in Reading were found to have dangerous Grenfell-style ACM cladding, with the dangerous material now remaining on one building.

READ MORE: Grenfell-style cladding removed from third Reading building

These are:

  • Hanover House, Kings Road (apartments)
  • St Lawrence House, Abbey Square (social housing)
  • Queen’s Court, Queens Walk (student accommodation)
  • Crossway Point, Norwood Road (social housing)

The cladding at Lawrence House was removed at the end of 2019, while the cladding at Queen’s Court was removed in March earlier this year.

Work to remove and replace the cladding at Crossway Point was delayed due to Covid-19 but was completed in December 2020, while works to replace the cladding at Hanover House began in December 2020.