Chronicle Live reported on the plans to redevelop the building, with plans lodged to replace its ACM cladding as developers intending to turn it into apartments have noted that it ‘does not comply with post-Grenfell fire safety rules’. Documents lodged with Newcastle City Council suggested the cladding ‘would not be compliant’ with the relevant regulations for residential accommodation updated post Grenfell, with plans to turn the office block into flats revealed in 2019.

The 18 storey high rise is ‘one of the tallest in the city’, with other safety upgrades required ‘to protect future residents from the risk of fire’. A statement from planners read: ‘The changes to the present cladding system are required in light of our client's intention to convert the building to residential apartments in line with the current prior approval consent, specifically due to changes to Building Regulations post-Grenfell; we understand that the present system would not be compliant with the relevant regulations from a fire safety perspective for residential accommodation.’

Their statement added that existing cladding will be ‘removed and replaced with similar’ external cladding in terms of finish, to ‘replicate the vertical emphasis and grey appearance of the existing cladding system’. In total 128 flats were set to be created in the building including four penthouse apartments, but this has been revised to 130 one and two bed apartments.

Of Newcastle’s 11 high rises identified as clad with ACM, a council spokesman said that work to remove and replace cladding has been completed on eight, with ‘progress’ on two others and ‘investigations still ongoing’ on the extent of work required on the remaining one. It added that it could not name the remaining three due to them being privately owned.

A spokesperson added: ‘We received an amended application on December 17 for recladding of Cale Cross House. It is now being assessed. Generally speaking, conversion from offices to residential flats in a building of this nature would need to comply with current building regulations. This would involve assessing externals walls to ensure they comply with fire safety regulations. Where this is not the case, the walls would need to be upgraded.’