FIRE-RISK cladding at a Basildon block of flats is set to be torn down, but campaigners claim the plans are “not safe enough”.

Weston Homes is set to remove the covering and insulation, which is classed as a fire risk, at Morello Quarter, Cherrydown East, in Basildon.

However angry campaigners fear the works will not be up to a good enough safety standard after the firm rejected proposals by residents.

Plans for the cladding and insulation removal were agreed by the council this week, but Weston Homes is now developing new proposals for the works.

Jennifer Vaccar-Moxham, who voluntarily runs residents’ management company Cherrydown Management, said: “We are all quite distressed and feel so passionately about this issue.

“The firm agreed to do the works but said what we want is not right and they will not do the works as we want.

“Weston Homes is planning a lower specification and it’s not good enough. We feel gutted. We don’t know when it will start and feel like we are going backwards.

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“It’s been hell for five years and the works proposed will not be up to the right safety regulations that are needed.”

She added: “We’ve lost Government funding for the works as Weston Homes has agreed to do the works. We can’t get mortgages or insurance and had hoped it would be rushed through.”

It comes after the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in 2017 which sparked advice from the Government to building owners across the country.

A Weston Homes spokesman said: “Weston Homes has committed to carrying out and covering the cost for the required work at Morello Quarter, which will deliver the standard of safety required by the Building Safety pledge.

“Weston Homes are aware of the urgency with which the residents wish this to be resolved and our team is ready to commence the works imminently. We have also agreed to repay the related costs incurred to date by the residents.

“These works will deliver a ‘B1’ EWS1, which will demonstrate that the risk is sufficiently low such that no further remedial works are required. The B1 EWS1 is accepted by both mortgage lenders and insurers and is in line with the requirement of the ‘pledge’.

“Weston Homes is here to work with the residents and deliver the work as soon as possible.”