A £1 million bill to replace cladding in a tower block may have been avoided had the structure been built to its original specification, the freeholders say.

Nova House in Buckingham Gardens, Slough, failed Government Safety Tests in the light of the Grenfell disaster in June.

Freeholders, Ground Rent Estate 5 (GRE5), say the material will now be replaced but leaseholders of the flats will be expected to pick up the bill. Under the four quotations provided, which are under expert review, the cost will be in the region of £1 million.

It has also emerged that the cladding found in the building is in fact different to the material originally specified for the building’s construction. This is now being looked looked into, GRE5 said, and it does not believe the intended cladding would have failed the combustibility test.

It said: “We have asked questions of all parties involved in the development of Nova House for further information and it is still not clear where the issue arose in the supply chain and construction of the property.

“We are not experts but to the best of our knowledge the type of cladding included in the specification we have seen suggests that it would not have failed the government’s combination test.”

It will provide ‘short term funding’ to ensure replacement works can begin, adding: “However we are considering what rights the leaseholders may have from third parties involved in the construction process, including insurers, to mitigate such costs.”