Dagenham block of flats engulfed by fire had known safety issues since 2020

Spectrum Building Dagenham

An external wall survey showed the building ‘did not fully comply with building regulations at the time of build’

Spectrum Building, which caught fire in the early hours of Monday 26 August, had known building safety issues dating back to September 2020.

Written evidence submitted by the Spectrum Residents’ Association to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee reveals that a September 2020 external wall survey found the 60-flat block at 22 Freshwater Road, Dagenham, did not fully meet building regulations at the time of construction.

The seven-storey building, with commercial spaces on the ground floor and residential flats above, was in the process of undergoing cladding remediation to replace high-pressure laminate panels when it caught fire on Monday.

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