By STEWART PATERSON
Political Correspondent
Homeowners in a block of flats with a similar type of cladding used on Grenfell Tower should get help from the government according to a Glasgow MSP.
James Kelly Labour MSP, raised the issue of owners paying thousands of pounds a day for safety wardens to patrol the flats and a potential bill of several million pounds to remove and replace the cladding.
Wardens have been placed on round the clock safety watch at a block in the Glasgow Harbour riverside development at a cost to the owners and cladding taken for testing.
Mr Kelly asked the housing minister what support the government would be offering to the owners.
He said: “One of my constituents stays in an affected block. Despite being approved at the time when it was put in place, the cladding would not currently gain planning permission.
“Consequently, the owners are being charged thousands of pounds to have a fire warden on patrol and the replacement cladding will come in at somewhere between £6 million and £9 million.”
Kevin Stewart, Housing Minister, said he and officials were liaising with the city council on the issue of Grenfell style cladding.
He said: “Glasgow City Council is communicating with owners, factors and others on the buildings that Mr Kelly highlighted. Buildings are primarily the responsibility of owners.
“However, local authorities have broad discretionary powers to provide assistance for work that is needed to bring any house into a reasonable state of repair.
“They are best placed to make decisions about what assistance should be provided to address local circumstances and priorities.”
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