Portsmouth student halls to change cladding after Grenfell

A university student housing block is set to change its cladding to meet new post-Grenfell fire safety standards.

Unite Students has applied to the city council for planning permission for the work to the Rosalind Franklin Halls in Portsmouth.

It followed a fire safety assessment which found "a number of failings" that did not meet building regulations.

The building in White Swan Road, which was built in 2002, houses 710 bedrooms for University of Portsmouth students.

The type of insulation and "inconsistent construction quality" identified in a review means it no longer complies with updated building regulations or the Fire Safety Act since changes were brought in after the Grenfell Tower fire.

The application proposed replacing the cladding, terracotta tiles and building façade, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

A letter by Matthew Roe, a director of ROK Planning which was commissioned to oversee the application, said the work would "maintain a safe, attractive, durable and well-managed built environment".

The council will make a decision on the proposals by 17 August.

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