3.3.7 Given the position that the Council found itself facing on 8th April 2016, it is the view of the Inquiry that the only practical and safe course of action in these circumstances was to close the schools in question and commence an immediate programme of remediation. The factors that made this the only sensible decision were:
• the already identified significant problem of poor embedment across the schools;
• the nature of the letter received from ESP on 8th April 2016 withdrawing their previous confirmation of 5th April 2016 that the schools were safe to occupy;
• the significant reduction in the effective capacity of the brick panels to withstand wind-loading as a result of the reported omission of head restraints;
the increased risk of an internal as well as external collapse of wall panels;
• the fact that there were only two days remaining before the schools were due to open, leaving no time for any alternative action (if such was available); and
• the unacceptability of the continuity of teaching time over the remaining three months being dependent on the weather.