THE cladding added to two Poole tower blocks during a £7million refurbishment is not the same kind as used at London’s Grenfell Tower, residents have been told.

None of Poole’s six high-rise buildings has sprinklers but the landlord “may reconsider the feasibility” of installing them after a public inquiry into the Kensington tragedy.

A report says the advice to residents to “stay put” in the event of a fire is still the best practice but may be reviewed nationally.

Poole Housing Partnership (PHP), which manages the town’s social housing, has produced a report ahead of a council committee meeting on Monday.

The town has six high-rise buildings, two of which – Sterte Court Bay View and Sterte Court Sea View – were refurbished in 2014 with external cladding installed.

The report says the cladding is a Trespa rainscreen system. “This is not the same as the aluminium composite material cladding used at Grenfell Tower,” PHP says.

The cladding system has a fire break every two floors up to the sixth floor and between every floor above that. “It also has a vertical fire break between each flat,” the report adds.

The blocks do not have sprinklers and although a “mist suppression” system for communal areas was considered when Sterte Court was refurbished, consultants said the other fire prevention in place was sufficient.

A fire risk assessment in April this year confirmed that all the blocks had adequate “compartmentation” to prevent the spread of fire, except around the bin chutes. Work to put that right is due to be done by the end of June.

The report says the fire service policy for residents to “stay put” is recognised as best practice. It says this avoids people put at risk by leaving a place of relative safety to escape through a dangerous area. “This national policy may well be reviewed following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower but remains the most authoritative advice available at this time,” it adds.

The only fire in the town’s high-rises in the past three years was in May 2014 at Sterte Court. The fire was smoking-related and was contained inside the flat. The fire brigade arrived in five minutes and had the fire under control half an hour later.

Since the Grenfell Tower blaze, which is so far thought to have claimed 79 lives, PHP staff have visited Poole’s tower blocks to reassure residents and answer questions. A residents’ meeting was held on Wednesday, June 21, and staff later knocked on the doors of those who had not been able to go.

A meeting of Borough of Poole’s people overview and scrutiny committee (health and social care) takes place on Monday, June 26, 6pm, at the Civic Centre, and will begin with a presentation by PHP.