Cladding on the Greenfield Tower appears to have been changed during a renovation to reduce costs, according to media reports.

The BBC has reported that documents which it obtained show that contractors working for the Kensington and Chelsea Council were asked to replace zinc cladding with a more cost effective aluminium version during a refurbishment in 2014.

One document forwarded to contractors in July 2014 contained a list of potential savings amounting to £693,161 which could reduce the cost associated with the contract from about £9.2 million to about £8.5 million, the BBC reported.

This included £293,368 which would be saved by fitting ‘aluminium cladding in lieu of zinc cladding’.

Other documents seen by the The Times newspaper reportedly show that contractors had been sent an ‘urgent nudge email’ regarding the refurbishment which urged them to provide ‘good costs’ on cladding.

Earlier planning documents suggest that the original plan for the building revolved around zinc cladding with a fire retarded core, the BBC reported.

Residents had also been told that their new cladding would be made of zinc.

The latest news follows the resignation of Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Nick Paget-Brow, who stepped down amid what he said was a need to accept responsibility for ‘perceived failings’ by the Council after the tragedy.

The developments also follow acknowledgements from the UK Government that cladding from 149 tower blocks had failed fire safety tests across 45 local authority areas.

Tests are being carried out on 600 buildings around the country.

Combustible cladding was thought to have contributed to the spread of the Greenfell fire, which has killed at least 80 people.