Following the fire at Grenfell on June 14, the same cladding has been found at student accommodation at Edinburgh Napier University.
Napier has confirmed that the cladding has been used on around a quarter of the outside walls of Bainfield Halls, which is currently housing 30 students. This is the first building in Scotland to confirm having the same cladding as Grenfell.
The university is working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to remove the cladding, and the process is expected to take up up four weeks. However, students have not been evacuated from the block.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Napier said: “The insulation materials behind the Bainfield cladding panels are non-combustible, the panel hangings are all made of metal, the wall cavities are properly fire-stopped and the buildings are fitted with sprinklers.
“There are also a range of other fire safety measures in place, including each block having its own exit route, a modern fire alarm and smoke detection system that is tested weekly, and 24-hour on-site security.
“Work has already begun to remove and replace the cladding as a precautionary measure, and we are working closely with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to ensure it is safe to continue to use the building as normal. Residents are not being evacuated.”
While the University of Stirling has assured staff and students that the overcladding in its buildings are not of the same material, the National Union of Students Scotland has called for building inspections to be extended.
President Donnie Sandlan has said: “In light of the worrying discovery that student halls at Edinburgh Napier University were built using the same cladding as Grenfell Tower, the remit of the government’s investigations must be extended to include educational and student accommodation buildings.
“Students live in a range of accommodation, so any review into building safety absolutely has to take into account all university, college, and private student accommodation buildings.”
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