WORK has commenced to replace unsafe and flammable building material in six different Runcorn apartment blocks.

The remediation at The Deck is part of a national programme following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which had combustible cladding and claimed 72 lives.

Work has started to prepare for scaffolding to be put up on the first block, which should be erected in the following weeks.

In the apartment buildings, render boarding, timber cladding and high-pressure laminate panel must all be replaced, and missing cavity barriers installed.

“To see work beginning at last will engender a sense of relief among residents but nobody is jumping for joy,” said Mike Amesbury, MP for Weaver Vale, which includes parts of Runcorn.

“For several years, they have lived with the anxiety of sleeping in unsafe homes that are currently unsellable while costs have stacked up massively in terms of insurance premiums and a new fire alarm system.

“Of course, the remediation will take another two years to complete with all the disruption that entails.

“However, to see workers on site it a positive step in the right direction.”

Taylor Wimpey, which constructed The Deck, has signed the Government’s developer remediation agreement to replace the unsafe properties it built at its own expense.

The three taller blocks, which are classed as higher risk buildings, will be tackled after the three lower blocks, as details of the remediation must be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator.

It is hoped that each block will take an average of eight months to complete, with the final block being finished in February 2026.