Halton MPs visit the Decks in Runcorn over cladding crisis

Although all six blocks at The Decks are covered in dangerous HPL cladding, only half of them are tall enough to qualify for government support to make them safe.

Residents of the other three, that are only just below the government’s 18m height limit, will have to take out loans to pay for the work that could cost each leaseholder up to £40,000.

Halton MP Derek Twigg said: “It’s a never ending nightmare for the residents. You hear it in their voices – the anguish and despair about what’s been happening.

“We’ve just got to do the best we can to try and get some justice for the people here and hold the government to account.

Halton MP Derek Twigg talks to Julie Fraser at The Decks, Runcorn. Photo provided by Mike Amesbury MP, cleared for use by BBC partners.

“The Conservatives seem to be suggesting on the one hand they want to help some people but then they’re not going to help a whole load of others and there’s no fairness about it.”

Residents at The Decks have already seen insurance costs soar 1,400% in the last two years since the flammable cladding was discovered in 2019, and have had to pay around £1,000 each for a new alarm system.

They also point out that while the government says buildings below 18m are less dangerous and so less in need of financial support to remove cladding, insurance companies have not made this distinction.

Mike Amesbury, MP for neighbouring Weaver Vale and Labour’s shadow housing minister, agreed with the residents, describing the government’s approach as “nonsense”.

He said: “The Decks demonstrate the absurdity of the government’s current response. Those buildings over 18m are eligible for some funding to remove the cladding but the buildings under 18m are not. 

“A dangerous flammable building is a dangerous flammable building, this height restriction is a red herring.

“Furthermore, the government plans to impose a loan on those that live in the buildings below 18m on top of mortgages, service charges and insurance premiums. 

“Not only is this unjust it also breaks a promise by ministers made publicly on at least 17 occasions that they would not expect leaseholders to foot the costs.”

Weaver Vale MP and shadow housing minister Mike Amesbury meets residents of The Decks in Runcorn to discuss the cladding scandal. Photo provided by Mike Amesbury MP, cleared for use by BBC partners.

The two MPs met with several residents of The Decks, including Julie Fraser, one of the founders of the Liverpool Cladiators campaign group.

Ms Fraser said her two-bed flat at the development was supposed to give her security in retirement, but has ended up causing her “incredible financial strain”.

She said: “With the financial implications, it’s easy to forget sometimes that at Grenfell 72 people lost their lives because of something that we now know was extremely dangerous.

“Developers have continued to use those products on these buildings. Can you imagine going to sleep every night knowing that at any point, if that was to catch fire, the chances of getting out are really quite low?

“On top of that we are expected to pay for the removal and installation of safe cladding.” 

She added: “I don’t have any faith they will put safe cladding on the buildings and how much will that cost?  

“So the financial implications of insurance, service charges over the years, we had to pay for fire alarms — that all came out of our pockets. 

• READ MORE > Cladding costs are ruining life savings

“It’s never ending and we don’t have that kind of money. £30,000-40,000 per leaseholder, possibly, to pay for this situation we find ourselves in. Government has to change it.” 

Announcing the government’s plans to deal with the cladding scandal on February 10, housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This is a comprehensive plan to remove unsafe cladding, support leaseholders, restore confidence to this part of the housing market and ensure this situation never arises again.

“Our unprecedented intervention means the hundreds of thousands of leaseholders who live in higher-rise buildings will now pay nothing towards the cost of removing unsafe cladding.”