Cladding confusion over Skelmersdale council flats

Oct 16 2008 by Gemma Jaleel, Skelmersdale Advertiser

WEST Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper is calling on the district council to find the cash to replace damaged tile cladding on flats in Skelmersdale following a mix-up by council officers.

Rosie said tenants in Waverley and Whitburn will feel “let down” after being told that the tile cladding would be replaced within a matter of weeks.

However confusion arose as there are two types of cladding on the flats in Waverley and Whitburn – timber cladding at a high level, and tile cladding at street level.

She is now calling on the council, as a gesture of goodwill, to find the money to replace the tile cladding immediately.

Rosie said: “Following complaints from local residents, I wrote to the council in May about the slate cladding on the side of the properties. I received a reply saying a programme has been set up to replace these tiles. I thought ‘great’ so then wrote back asking when the programme would start, and was informed that tenders were going out with a provisional return date of August 8, with work starting two weeks after the successful contractor had been appointed.

“The council has now informed me that this information relates to a separate issue on the same properties regarding some high-level timber cladding and they thought I was talking about that, even though I had made no mention of timber cladding in my correspondence with the council.

“The least they could do is meet the residents half way by taking action on the worse affected blocks, such as those near High Street, which have suffered terrible vandalism.”

West Lancashire District Council said: “In our correspondence with the MP, who has appropriately taken up the concerns of local residents, it turns out that we were inadvertently talking at cross-purposes in terms of the types of cladding.

“We appreciate the concerns of residents about vandalism and we have carried out a pilot scheme on one block and replaced the tiles with metal sheeting which is less prone to damage by vandals.

“Due to limited resources, we will have to assess the cost of carrying out further work on the other 12 blocks of flats against other priorities within the Housing Division.

“The council is obviously concerned that its properties are being damaged by vandals and the cost of repairs will have to be funded at the expense of much-needed modernisation and improvement to homes throughout the district.”