Flammable cladding to be removed from blocks

Flammable cladding installed on two Slough apartment buildings can be removed after plans were approved.

Lexington Apartments and Rivington Apartments, in Railway Terrace, are considered "higher risk" because of their size and height.

Slough Borough Council approved the plans but said that works should not affect their external appearance.

The Riverside Group, which is responsible for managing the blocks, wants to replace the cladding, insulation and any connected parts of the buildings' exterior.

Its plan said the works had been meant to be a technical remediation and replacement strategy, rather than a redesign of the buildings.

Following the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017, tighter regulations were introduced to ensure buildings' safety.

Fay Brooks-Hedges, who has owned a flat in Rivington Apartments for nine years, said it was "frightening" to live in the building after she learned of the flammable cladding there in about 2018.

"We would like to sell and move away from here and we probably won't buy a flat again because I don't trust these buildings, to be honest with you," she said.

Brooks-Hedges said any sale was likely to take a "very long time" because of how long it might take her building's value to increase.

Flammable cladding was found at Mosaic Apartments, also in Slough, where a fire broke out in August 2024.

A plan to remove that cladding was approved by Slough Borough Council in the spring.