Cladding removed from block of flats

Micro flats on Rhodes Street, Oldham. Cladding being removed by workmen.

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HUGE quantities of cladding have been removed from a new block of micro-flats in Oldham.

It is understood the orange cladding on the high-rise building in Cardinal Street has been pulled down by workers to be sent away for testing.

Labourers were seen using a crane to carry out work at the block of 142 apartments over the past two days.

Metal barriers have been put in place to shut off the section of paving and road surrounding the building ­- known as G-Suite Cardinal ­- while contractors used power tools to remove the cladding.

It comes after the Grenfell Tower fire in London last month which is believed to have been hastened by the type of cladding used on the building's exterior.

The fire, which started in a faulty fridge-freezer, resulted in some 80 deaths and 70 injuries.

Around 600 high-rise buildings across the country have been tested since the fire spread through the 24-storey building in Kensington, of which 181 were found to have failed fire tests.

This is the first known instance of cladding being removed from an Oldham building following the fire.

Construction of the flats has been ongoing since 2014 in order to make the affordable self-contained micro-flats available.

The flats ­- owned by G-Suite Holdings Ltd ­- were put on the market in June and still feature on OnTheMarket.com, let by Century 21. However it is understood the accommodation is currently unoccupied.

The initial cladding and construction of the building was carried out by Construction Partnership UK (CPUK) who refused to comment on the latest movements at the site.

Construction Partnership UK said on their website of their previous work: "Our works comprise the structural alterations and completion of the existing steel frame, followed by construction of the full external envelope."