Residents trapped in unsafe homes stage 'cladding' protest at Manchester's MediaCity

Video by ITV NEWS Reporter Tim Scott

Residents caught up in the 'Cladding Scandal' are staging a protest at Manchester's MediaCityUK calling for a fair solution.

The protest has been planned by the Manchester Cladiators, a group which represents residents living in buildings with dangerous cladding and serious internal fire safety issues.

They are campaigning to make their homes safe, without residents being forced to pay thousands of pounds in repairs.

Four years on from the Grenfell tragedy, in which 72 people died in a fire at a high rise in London, residents say they have seen 'no progress' and their homes are effectively worthless.

Thousands of leaseholders are now faced with staggering bills of anywhere between £20,000 and £100,00 plus to cover the costs of repair work to their properties.

The group have marched from the Salford Quays tram spot to The Lowry Plaza and were joined by Greater Manchester's Mayor Andy Burnham, Salford's City Mayor Paul Dennett and Salford's MP Rebecca Long-Bailey

Manchester Cladiators have described facing 'crippling debts' in what they call 'a life threatening situation', forced to live in unsafe buildings, with flammable cladding or internal structural issues.

In response a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government MHCLG spokesperson said:

“We are spending over £5 billion to fund the replacement of unsafe cladding in the highest risk buildings and are making the biggest improvements to building safety in a generation.

“We will also ensure that the industry help to fund the costs of fixing historical safety defects including unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings.”