NEWPORT City Homes confirmed that they have sent samples of cladding used on their buildings for testing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. 

In previous statements, the housing association - which manages three 11-storey towers in the Gaer, St Julians and Ringland areas of Newport - had assured residents the cladding used on its buildings is not the same as that used in London, and is non-flammable.

A spokeswoman for Newport City Homes said: "We welcome the advice and support from Welsh Government and DCLG to get cladding systems tested.

"We fully support the testing of whole systems and we’re in liaison with by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to test samples to provide us with further assurances.

"As a precautionary measure we have checked the DCLG guidelines for buildings suspected of having Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) in place, and can confirm we are compliant with the relevant additional safety measures proposed."

The spokeswoman said resident safety is their priority and that they have spoken with those residents who live in their tower blocks to answer any questions they may have.

"We have knocked doors on every flat, issued fire safety advice, and we are holding weekly surgeries at the tower blocks so that we are available to answer their questions," she said. "Each of our tower blocks have up-to-date fire risk assessments.

"Every year we work with South Wales Fire and Rescue to run a test evacuation exercise at our tower blocks. We successfully carried out that test last week."

A spokesman for Torfaen housing association Bron Afon said that the cladding material used on their tower blocks is not the Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) that was used in Grenfell Tower. 

"Nevertheless, we will be sending off samples of external wall cladding from our three high-rise blocks  for testing this week," he said. "In addition to the other safety measures it is important to remember that the products and systems we used are different to what was at Grenfell Tower.”

The news comes after the Welsh Government confirmed that cladding in seven tower blocks in Wales is currently being tested.

Swansea Council has confirmed that tests relating to four tower blocks in the city have failed the tests.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “Following the Grenfell Tower disaster we instructed local authorities and social landlords in Wales that where Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding was, or was suspected to be, present in tower blocks, they should have the material tested by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

"Anglesey Council, Bron Afon Community Housing and Coastal Housing group do not have ACM panels as cladding.

"However to provide reassurance to their residents they are sending samples for testing but not to BRE, at their own expense.

"Newport City Homes have sent samples from ACM panels to BRE  for testing and are awaiting the results.”