Leaseholders to receive government support over unsafe cladding

The government has announced funding to help protect leaseholders living in buildings affected by unsafe cladding.

Under the plans, funding for buildings under 11 metres will be provided through the existing cladding safety scheme, with support prioritised for those facing the greatest risk.

The measures also include making it easier for the Building Safety Regulator to issue building assessment certificates.

Leaseholders have spent years facing uncertainty

The government say the plans form part of wider changes to how buildings are prioritised for remediation.

Rather than focusing mainly on building height, buildings will be assessed based on the risk they pose to residents, with those facing the most serious safety concerns addressed first.

Building safety minister Samantha Dixon said: “Residents shouldn’t be left worrying about living in homes with dangerous, flammable cladding, just because their building isn’t tall enough to qualify for funding.

“That’s why we’re taking action so that buildings posing the greatest risk to life are prioritised, as well as streamlining processes to minimise delays and make responsibilities clear.”

Economic secretary to the Treasury, Rachel Blake, said: “Too many leaseholders have spent years facing uncertainty and have been unable to move on with their lives because of building safety issues they did not cause.

“As we work to make buildings safer, leaseholders deserve confidence that they are paying a fair price for insurance. The FCA’s review will help us better understand how insurers are pricing and whether leaseholders are getting fair value.”

Industry reaction

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, said: “We welcome renewed ambitions to remove dangerous cladding from buildings with serious fire safety risks.

“No resident should have to live with uncertainty over their safety or face barriers to resolving these issues.

“For many, cladding problems have led to years of anxiety, costly remediation work and stalled property sales, preventing people from moving when they need or want to.”

Chief executive of the National Housing Federation, Kate Henderson, said: “We welcome the government’s decision to prioritise building safety remediation according to risk and to extend funding to lower-rise buildings with the most serious safety concerns. This is an approach the sector has long called for, as height alone is not a reliable measure of risk, and will ensure capacity is directed to where it’s needed most.

“Housing associations continue to work hard to make all their buildings safe. The social housing sector is leading the way on remediation, but the scale and complexity of the challenge mean government support remains essential.

“This announcement is an important step towards accelerating remediation and ensuring residents in buildings of all heights feel safe in their homes. We will continue to work closely with the government to ensure all buildings with serious external wall safety risks are remediated as quickly as possible.”

The government has also set out plans for a new single construction regulator, which will bring together different parts of the building regulation system and make it easier to navigate.