A housing association is applying for permission to replace cladding removed from three Newtown tower blocks following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy which claimed the lives of 71 people.

Sanctuary Housing took away cladding on the ground floor levels only at Haygarth Heights, Rowland Heights and Thackeray Towers.

A different type of cladding is suspected to have led to rapid fire spread at Grenfell but Sanctuary took action after tests revealed the ground floor cladding was combustible – however, it was sandwiched between inert material with a fire break separating it from the upper floors.

Cladding being stripped from the ground floor of Thackeray Towers, Newtown, Chester.

The Chronicle understands the replacement material involves mineral fibre insulation with a render to match the finish above.

A Sanctuary Housing spokesman said: “The work being done will see the brick slip that was removed from the ground floor replaced by a render finish that matches the colour and specification of the one that features on all three buildings from the first floor upwards.”

Last year The Chronicle discovered Cheshire West and Chester Council ’s building control department had not signed off three Newtown tower blocks where the external cladding was stripped from the ground floor.

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That’s because Sanctuary made no application for a Completion Certificate at Haygarth Heights, Rowland Heights and Thackeray Towers claiming ‘work hadn’t been completed’ as the main contractor was still dealing with minor defects.

Following the removal of ground floor cladding a certificate was finally issued. But it was said at the time that any further work would require a new application.

It is unclear whether the issue over the ground floor cladding would have been raised as an issue even if the Completion Certificate had been sought at an earlier stage. The material was removed following tests in the wake of Grenfell after advice was sought from the national advisory body for building control (LABC).

Work is taking place to strip brick-effect cladding on the ground floors of three Chester tower blocks in Newtown: Haygarth Heights, Thackeray Towers and Rowlands Heights.

With respect to the safety of Chester’s tower blocks in general, the council said the ‘complete insulated wall systems’ at blocks in Blacon and Newtown were compliant with regulations relating to the performance of external walls of buildings higher than 18m.

The vision to reclad the blocks was to improve their appearance and insulation properties.