High-rise cladding and fire safety information

Information about high-rise building cladding and up to date information about the high-rise buildings in Bighton & Hove.

High-rise cladding

A high-rise building is one that is more than 18 metres or 6 storeys high. Brighton & Hove City Council owns 45 high-rise buildings in the city. 

Twenty of our high-rise blocks have full cladding, and 3 more have partial cladding, mostly on the sides.

Cladding is used for a variety of reasons. A number of council high-rise buildings have a form of cladding called 'external wall insulation' fitted to: 

  • address repair issues
  • provide extra insulation
  • reduce heating costs for tenants

Fire safety and cladding

None of the cladding on our tower blocks is the same material that was used on Grenfell Tower. None of our council high-rise blocks have cladding made from Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).

We carried out additional precautionary inspections of all our council blocks following the Grenfell fire. We work closely with the East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS).

New national fire safety legislation has been introduced following the enquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. New duties have been introduced under the Building Safety Act.

We're investing in building and fire safety in line with our new duties, including a programme of building surveys of our blocks and enhanced fire surveys.

Read our additional building safety information for our 8 large panel system high-rise blocks.

Fire safety procedures

Fire risk assessments for council tower blocks take place every year. Any necessary fire precaution work is prioritised and scheduled as required.

High-rise flats are built to be fire-resistant. Walls, ceilings and doors will hold back flames and smoke.

ESFRS carry out test simulations in council housing and work with us through the Fire Review Board.

Evacuating a high-rise building

Our evacuation policy follows the guidance from ESFRS for delayed evacuation.

If there’s a fire in your own flat, you should get out, stay out and phone 999.

If there’s a fire elsewhere in the building, you're usually safe in your own flat with the doors and windows closed, unless heat or smoke affects you.

When the fire service considers it safe for you to evacuate the building, they will tell you to leave.

This guidance will be reviewed in line with any national government review.

Go to our fire safety in council flats page for more information about what to do if there's a fire in your building, when to get out and when to stay put.

List of high-rise blocks

Goldsmid

Hanover & Elm Grove

Hollingdean & Fiveways

Moulsecoomb & Bevendean

Preston Park

Queen's Park

South Portslade

West Hill & North Laine

Whitehawk & Marina