525-bed student block has 'combustible insulation' which needs replacing

A 37-storey student halls tower has dangerous insulation which needs to be replaced, new planning documents show.

Bridgewater Heights, a 100-metre tall block on Great Marlborough Street in the city centre, has been found to contain ‘combustible insulation’. The building, also called Student Castle, has 525 bedrooms, ‘in a mix of 2, 4 and 5 bed cluster flats and 1 bed studios’, according to owners Unite Students.

The insulation will be replaced ‘back to the existing sheathing board’ in a programme of repairs that will also reclad the tower, a fire risk report says.

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“The proposed re-cladding of the building will allow for the improvement of fire safety measures to the external façade of the building to minimise the risk of fire spread,” explained Matthew Roe, a director of ROK Planning, writing on behalf of Unite.

“The proposed re-cladding and façade remediation works seek to largely maintain the existing design approach and architectural expression of the blocks by the replacement of the existing materials with largely matching materials of high-quality finishes.”

A spokesperson for Unite Students added in a statement to the M.E.N.: “The safety of our residents is our top priority and the building remains safe to live in. Insulation work is due to begin later this year and we’re keeping students updated."

The work comes as a wave of residential buildings in the city centre undergo similar cladding remediation works. One building which was popular with students and graduates was Bracken House on nearby Charles Street, which was shut down by the fire