A Croydon councillor has warned there will be a "significant long-term financial burden" placed on the council if post-Grenfell funding isn't provided by the Government.

In the months since the council committed to retrofitting sprinklers in 26 of its tallest residential tower blocks, the Department for Communities and Local Government has twice refused to either contribute towards Croydon’s programme or relax council borrowing powers.

Now council's deputy leader Councillor Alison Butler has written to Alok Sharma MP for a third time, requesting money towards Croydon’s sprinkler £10 million sprinkler programme and a face-to-face meeting with the housing minister.

Cllr Butler wrote: "Croydon’s fire safety programme will cost £10 million from our Housing Revenue Account, placing a significant long-term financial burden on other ring-fenced council projects.

"Croydon may be the first council to invest in urgent measures post-Grenfell, but we recognise that others have far more homes. In London alone, many are also still tackling cladding issues under your department’s instruction. Therefore, the full cost will not become clear for months to come, if not years.

"Without your help to provide extra funding, local authorities like Croydon that take the initiative on post-Grenfell fire safety in both council and private housing face an unprecedented funding gap."

Cllr Butler also said the Government was adding to councils’ financial burden by asking them to do extra checks on private blocks’ fire safety and intervening in leaseholder disputes.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "Public safety is paramount and following the Grenfell Tower tragedy we set up a comprehensive building safety programme to ensure a fire like this can never happen again.

“While building owners are responsible for funding fire safety measures in their properties, we have been clear councils should contact us if they have any concerns about funding as we will consider financial flexibilities for essential work to make a building safe.

“We have received additional information in a letter from Croydon Council and we will respond in due course.”