Grenfell-linked Celotex material not used on blocks, says Hackney Council

Cllr Clayeon McKenzie, cabinet member for housing needs. Photograph: Hackney Council

None of Hackney Council’s housing blocks has cladding or insulation made by Celotex, a company linked to the Grenfell Tower fire and accused by BBC Panorama of cutting corners on fire safety.

Cllr Clayeon McKenzie, cabinet member for housing services, told the Hackney Citizen that independent cladding tests carried out last year found that no council blocks contained Celotex materials.

A BBC Panorama investigation broadcast on 21 May accused Celotex of selling a flammable version of its insulation which would not have passed fire safety tests – and which was used on the Grenfell Tower, where 72 people died last June.

Celotex has said it is co-operating with the police investigation and the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.

Cllr McKenzie said: “We’d like to reassure residents that none of our blocks has Celotex cladding or external insulation.”

“We employed independent cladding experts to carry out testing of the cladding and external insulation of all our tower blocks following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

“It was just one aspect of a range of fire safety work we undertook and continue to do to try to keep our residents as safe as possible.”