Challenging contract ahead…

Tallest remaining Ronan Point-style block to be demolished due to structural concerns.

The tallest remaining tower block built using the same system as the ill-fated Ronan Point is set to be demolished due to concerns about its “long-term structural integrity”.

Leicester City Council is expected to approve proposals to knock down Goscote House on 16 April.

The 23-storey high rise was constructed in 1973 with the same large panel system as Ronan Point – a former tower block in east London which partially collapsed after a gas explosion in 1968, killing four people.

Landlords across the country have been uncovering safety concerns in similar blocks in the months since the Grenfell Tower fire last June.

According to an officer’s report to the council’s assistant mayor for housing, an investigation has found that the structural integrity of Goscote House’s concrete frame “cannot be guaranteed for longer than five years”.

The council had initially planned to refurbish the block at a cost of around £6.5m, including retrofitting sprinklers.

However, it now intends to push ahead with plans to demolish the building floor by floor for around £3m, and either redevelop the site or sell it on.

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