Hope for Trafford leaseholders impacted by fire safety shutdown

Plans to finally replace dangerous cladding at Aura Court have been submitted almost five years after some apartments within the scheme were deemed uninhabitable by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue.

Located off Stretford Road, the 48-apartment Aura Court was developed in the 2000s. Its upper floors are clad in non-fire resisting Trespa Meteon high pressure laminate, while timber cladding was as found in the courtyard and atrium areas. The timber has since been replaced with plywood as a temporary measure.

In 2020, GMFRS issued an enforcement notice to Tapestart, the freeholder at the time, ordering 21 of the 47 apartments within the building to be vacated due to fire safety concerns.

Edgerton Estates later acquired the scheme and has been working up plans to remove the replace the dangerous materials.

An application submitted to Trafford Council seeking permission to carry out the work the the vacant six-storey building has been submitted.

“The proposed works are essential to ensuring the safety and compliance of Aura Court, addressing critical fire safety concerns identified through investigation,” a design and access statement drafted by 1618 Architects accompanying the application states.

Leaseholders who acquired flats within the scheme have been unable to let or sell their properties during the period of enforcement, with many still on the hook for various charges.