{"id":535688,"date":"2026-01-09T12:45:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T12:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=535688"},"modified":"2026-01-09T11:51:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T11:51:18","slug":"probe-launched-after-cladding-falls-from-vinci-built-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/buildings\/building-safety\/probe-launched-after-cladding-falls-from-vinci-built-office-09-01-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Probe launched after cladding falls from Vinci-built office"},"content":{"rendered":"

An investigation is underway after architectural cladding fell off a Vinci-built office in Blackpool.<\/span><\/p>\n

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employees at the<\/span> Fylde View building<\/span><\/a> (pictured) were evacuated following the incident in which a piece of external brise soleil dropped to the pavement from the sixth floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

No injuries occurred from the fall of the 4.2-metre long, 200 mm-deep object at about 9.45am on Wednesday (7 January).<\/span><\/p>\n

The pavement beneath the affected area was immediately cordoned off, and secure fencing with \u2018no entry\u2019 signage was erected within public spaces to create an exclusion zone around the office entrance.<\/span><\/p>\n

A DWP spokesperson told <\/span>Construction News<\/span><\/i>:<\/b> “The contractor is on site and the building remains closed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAction will be taken over the coming days to ensure the safety of the site before staff return.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In a statement, main contractor<\/span> Vinci Building<\/span><\/a> said it \u201capologises\u201d for the incident.<\/span><\/p>\n

It added: \u201cClearly this could have caused injury to anyone hit by it and we are sorry for any distress caused and the ongoing impact to the occupiers of the building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA full investigation into the incident and why it occurred is now underway.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

An unnamed rope access facade subcontractor was called to site immediately to inspect all brise soleil on the fifth and sixth floors, according to Vinci Building.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUpon inspection, four further pieces of brise soleil were removed,\u201d it said, adding that its facade engineer and the unnamed supplier of the brise soleil system were inspecting the site.<\/span><\/p>\n

All brise soleil pieces on the fifth and sixth floors are being removed over the weekend .<\/span><\/p>\n

Vinci Building said it is also arranging to take down all brise soleil panels from the rest of the structure using cherry pickers, as a \u201cprecautionary measure and to provide DWP with the required level of confidence for their employees to safely return to the building\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the contractor told <\/span>CN<\/span><\/i> it was \u201calso undertaking a thorough review to establish the cause of the incident\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

A company spokesperson said the aim was to reopen the building on Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, weather conditions are difficult in the North West amid Storm Goretti, with the Met Office warning of heavy snow until midday today (9 January).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they can’t get it done because of the weather, then we\u2019ll take a view on Monday,\u201d the Vinci spokesperson said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The seven-storey Fylde View office accommodates about 3,000 DWP staff. It was built by Vinci as the third phase of the broader \u00a3350m Talbot Gateway redevelopment scheme around the town\u2019s railway station.<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u00a3100m building opened last May, two months after Vinci completed the main construction phase.<\/span><\/p>\n

CN<\/span><\/i> approached Blackpool Council and the Health and Safety Executive for comment.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An investigation is underway after architectural cladding fell off a Vinci-built office in Blackpool. Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employees at the Fylde View building (pictured) were evacuated following the incident in which a piece of external brise soleil dropped to the pavement from the sixth floor. No injuries occurred from the fall of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135716,"featured_media":535689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79552,544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-535688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-building-safety","category-vinci"],"yoast_head":"\nProbe launched after cladding falls from Vinci-built office | Construction News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An investigation is underway after architectural cladding fell off a Vinci-built office in Blackpool. 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