REDDITCH Council is being challenged on its emergency plans in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in North Kensington.

Councillor Tom Baker-Price will be seeking assurances that the council is able to meet its legal duties and protect residents if a similar disaster ever occurs in Redditch.

Cllr Baker-Price, chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny committee for the council, is proposing a review into the relevance, effectiveness and credibility of current emergency plans.

The tragic Grenfell Tower fire, which now has a death toll of 79, has put local authorities in the spotlight as to how they plan for and respond to public emergencies.

Cllr Baker-Price said questions are being asked to whether Redditch Borough Council is adequately prepared to protect the public during a similar crisis situation.

“My thoughts are with all the victims of the Grenfell fire," he said.

"The protection of the public is the first duty of government which must be underwritten by credible emergency plans. If the worst ever happens and a similar event occurs in Redditch the public must be assured of a fast and effective response that keeps residents safe.

"A review of Redditch’s emergency plans and if they have the capability to execute them will either provide this assurance or make recommendations to ensure Redditch is prepared.”

The proposal to launch a review will be debated on July 4 at a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid has ordered local authorities across the country to check whether buildings in their area have been cladded using materials similar to those at the Grenfell Tower.

In line with his role as Communities Secretary, Mr Javid said authorities must identify whether any panels used in new build or refurbishment are a particular type of cladding made of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).

Mr Javid has been reluctant to state whether the cladding helped spread the cause of the fire while the investigation is still underway and told this newspaper "it’s too early to speculate on the causes of the fire or how it spread".

His department has further stressed that ACM cladding is not dangerous.

Yet he said additional tests are needed with regard to cladding to ease anxiety amongst residents about whether their own blocks are safe.