Yahoo Finance East London fire: Affected residents moved to hotel after tower block blaze
Vulnerable residents affected by the recent high-rise blaze in east London have been temporarily rehoused at a nearby hotel.
The “majority” of those living in four out of the five residential buildings at the New Providence Wharf development in Blackwall returned to their homes on Friday evening, a spokesperson from Tower Hamlets council said.
But residents living in the affected block that caught fire were provided with hotel accommodation in Canary Wharf, where the Ballymore response team are said to be on site providing support.
It comes after the tower block, which has Grenfell Tower-style cladding, caught fire on part of the eighth, ninth and 10th floors on Friday morning.
The London Fire Brigade managed to bring the blaze under control by about 11.30am but more than 40 people including children needed medical treatment after the incident.
Approximately 22 per cent of the building’s facade features aluminium composite material polyethylene cladding panels, which were found to be a key factor in the 2017 Grenfell fire.
But Ballymore has said the cladding did not combust and “played no part” in causing the fire.
Shortly after the incident, which has been described by some as “extremely alarming,” Kensington and Chelsea council, who presided over Grenfell tower, offered Tower Hamlets support with providing temporary accommodation to affected residents.
But on Friday afternoon Tower Hamlets said “they had all matters hand” and would not be requiring their support.
Homeowners shocked by the incident last week have said the issue of cladding has left them trapped in unsellable flats, with some planning a summer of protests to fight against the problem.
One protest was organised over the weekend and attended by some 300 people, including residents of New Provident Wharf, who called on Ballymore to provide more support for affected residents.
In a statement, Ballymore confirmed: “Most residents were able to return to their homes on Friday evening, while Ballymore is providing accommodation in a nearby hotel for those who require it.
“We understand how difficult and distressing Friday was for our residents and we are grateful for the patience they have demonstrated. Our response team is continuing to support them in any way we can.
“The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and we continue to work closely with the London Fire Brigade during their investigations. We can however confirm that the ACM cladding on the building did not combust and played no part in causing or facilitating the fire,” it added.
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