They have challenged decisions. They have commissioned their own investigations. They have gathered evidence. And, perhaps most frustratingly, they have repeatedly found themselves having to explain why that evidence matters.
This week on Cladding Matters, Steve Day is back. And there is a new report which could become a very important part of the residents' campaign.
An Independent Fire Engineering Review, dated 2 September 2026, has examined the XPS insulation retained within panels forming part of the protected stair enclosures at Royal Artillery Quays. The review was commissioned on behalf of residents because of concerns over the decision to leave some of this combustible material in place.
And its findings are difficult to overlook.
The professional opinion given in the report is that the remaining WT3 panels containing XPS should not remain as part of the enclosure to the sole protected stair.
That word "sole" matters.
The towers rely upon a single protected stair. It is the route residents may need to use to escape and the route firefighters may need to use to enter the building during an emergency. The report describes it as the building's "most critical passive fire safety feature".
So this isn't simply another argument about cladding or insulation somewhere on the outside of a building.
We are talking about combustible XPS contained within panels forming part of the enclosure protecting that single stair.
The earlier FRAEW resulted in some XPS-containing panels being replaced, while others were allowed to remain. The new independent review questions whether that continued retention is appropriate when the building configuration and the consequences for life safety are considered.
Its recommendation is straightforward. The remaining XPS-containing panels forming part of the protected stair enclosure should be replaced with suitable non-combustible construction.
There is another issue too.
The report found that documentary evidence demonstrating the fire resistance of the extensive glazed elements around the protected stair was not available to the reviewers. It does not say that the glazing has failed or is non-compliant. It says its fire-resisting performance could not be verified from the information provided.
Taken together with the retained XPS and the reliance on one protected stair, the engineers say these factors reduce confidence in the overall robustness and resilience of that escape route.
And that brings us back to the residents.
How many times should residents have to commission reports, produce evidence and ask the same questions before somebody takes responsibility for providing clear answers?
This report does not answer every question surrounding Royal Artillery Quays. Nor does it claim to.
What it does provide is an independent professional opinion about a very specific and very important fire safety issue.
The remaining XPS panels should be replaced.
For Steve and the residents, that could be a significant moment.
This Friday, we will hear from Steve about the report, why it was commissioned, what its findings mean and where the campaign goes from here.
Because after years of questions, reports and arguments over risk, one thing has changed.
The evidence is now there in black and white. What happens next matters.
Join Gareth Wax, Steve Day and Hamish McLay for Cladding Matters, live this Friday at 1pm.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
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