Plans drawn up to remove flammable cladding from Sheffield's tallest skyscraper
Fire concerns lead to proposals to remove materials from 89m high landmark
Experts have drawn up plans to strip cladding from Sheffield’s tallest building, amid concerns that flammable materials were used.
The 32-story City Lofts building, next to Arundel Gate, was completed in 2010, and become the tallest building in the city upon completion.
But 15 years on, there are concerns over some of the cladding that was used, and architects, Halliday Meecham Architects, have drawn up plans to change the exterior for something safer, with a planning application to Sheffield Council asking for permission to carry out the work.
The plan is to replace the panels while people are still living in the 89m tower.
Halliday Meecham said in a report sent to the council’s planning department: “The client has identified a need for a full cladding replacement scheme and commissioned a series of Fire Risk Assessments, Surveys and Investigation that have confirmed that the external wall cladding contains combustible insulation and there are limited areas of fire breaks that limit the spread of flame in a fire scenario.”
They said they had found combustible insulation bonded to aluminium in panels panels glazed into curtain walling. The panels are difficult to remove and easily damaged as a result of the works and will be replaced.
The building’s owners are applying for money from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Governments Building Safety Fund to pay for the work.
The building affected consists of the high profile 32 storey tower, and a second, lower building, linked City Lofts which faces onto St Paul’s Place.
The report added: “The proposed works are to be carried out using safe construction procedures with the buildings in full occupation throughout.”
The tallest of the two blocks, the tower, contains 230 flats, while the lower 11 floor block contains 86 flats.
The safety risks associated with flammable panels hit the headlines after the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, which claimed the lives of 72 people,
The company which owns the building, RMB 102 Limited, told The Star in a statement: “We can confirm that a planning application has been submitted for City Lofts on behalf of the Residents’ Management Company, which is responsible for managing remediation at the building.
“The safety of residents is paramount to all parties concerned. This move represents a significant milestone to ensure that issues with the external walls of the building are fixed. We await the result of the Management Company’s application.”