A housing association has denied claims cladding was removed from a block of flats because it was dangerous.

Residents raised concerns after scaffolding was erected and the cladding ripped off the property in Jeffrey’s Road, Cressing.

Greenfields Community Housing, which runs the block, claimed the insulation was being changed for “thermal efficiency” reasons but residents fear it is connected to the Grenfell Tower disaster and subsequent checks.

One claimed the contractors working on the site had admitted the cladding being removed from the 54-year-old building was not up to standard.

She said: “One of the contract men completing the work slipped up and told us the insulation on our roof and building was completely flammable.

Now all of a sudden they have had to strip our building completely back to brick, “This was after they come out and secretly put alarms in that were non-existent in our buildings before the Grenfell Tower incident.”

The housing association said tenants had been contacted in June to provide information and reassurance on fire safety, but did not reference Grenfell Tower.

Braintree and Witham Times:

A spokesman for Greenfields Community Housing said: “Our independent health and safety advisor arranges for fire risk assessments to be carried out at all 305 of our blocks of flats on a regular basis.

“The last assessments in 2016/17 concluded all blocks meet fire regulations.

“While the external wall insulation meets fire regulations, we are improving the thermal efficiency of the building by replacing it and renewing the roof.

“We appreciate that we could have provided more information, and will endeavour to do so.”

A resident added: “We should be told what’s going on instead of facts being hidden and the work should be done in a reasonable and safe way.

Now we are having to live on a building site, where there has been zero consideration that this is our homes not an empty construction site.”