Deadlines for unsafe cladding removal set by MHCLG

At the heart of the joint plan on social housing remediation is a commitment by Government to invest over £1 billion to give social landlords access to Government funding schemes in the same way as private building owners. The Cladding Safety Scheme guidance has been changed so that the equal access policy can be implemented with immediate effect.  

As part of this work, housing associations, local authorities and regulators are committing to accelerate work to assess and fix social housing and to improve support to social tenants before, during and after remediation works.

What’s more, a new Remediation Bill is being brought forward to make sure that landlords are held to account for fixing unsafe cladding and to tackle the slow pace of action across the sector.

The legislation, which will be brought forward as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows, is going to require landlords overseeing buildings of 18 metres or more in height with unsafe cladding to complete remediation work by the end of 2029 and those landlords of buildings of 11-18 metres in height to complete the same by the end of 2031.  

Those who fail to comply without any reasonable excuse for doing so could face unlimited fines or imprisonment. New legislation will also afford named bodies (such as Homes England and local authorities) the necessary powers to remediate buildings with unsafe cladding if the landlord fails to do so.

These reforms will help to make homes safer, reinforcing the Government’s mission to restore confidence in building safety and make sure that tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire can never happen again. They will also help the sector to build the affordable homes that the country needs.

Meeting the challenge

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “We’ve given social landlords access to over £1 billion to remediate unsafe cladding and make residents safe. The social sector is ready to rise to the challenge and make sure that residents are safe in their homes.”

Rayner continued: “We are also sending a clear message to those responsible for buildings still wrapped in unsafe cladding: act now or face the consequences. Our Remediation Bill will include a new duty on them to make their building safe by a specified date and new powers to impose serious penalties on those who fail to comply with the duty, and ultimately to bypass them if necessary to make the building safe.”

Building Safety and Fire Minister Alex Norris added: “We are determined to make buildings safe and protect residents. Since publishing our Remediation Acceleration Plan, we’ve made strong progress. This update goes further to drive accountability and remove barriers to speed up remediation.”

Norris concluded: “There is now a clear pathway to remediate every building with unsafe cladding. We expect everyone to play their part in giving residents and leaseholders the peace of mind that they deserve.”

Additional support

Additional support has also been announced for leaseholders, including long-term support to help replace ‘Waking Watch’ measures and shield leaseholders from costly interim safety measures.

For the first time, Government funding will also be made available to support fire safety-related cladding remediation works on buildings under 11 metres tall, in exceptional cases where no alternative viable funding route exists.

The Government has recently laid regulations for the Building Safety Levy, delivering on a key commitment from the initial Remediation Acceleration Plan. The Building Safety Levy is expected to raise £3.4 billion over the next decade to help fund remediation and will come into force from October 2026.

To maintain the viability of housing delivery, the Building Safety Levy has exemptions for affordable housing, supported housing and for the development of fewer than ten dwellings as well as a discount for previously developed land.

Through Local Remediation Acceleration Plans, Mayoral Strategic Authorities will work closely with regulators and draw on local expertise to drive progress in their areas.  These locally tailored plans will address unsafe buildings more effectively and ensure residents feel safe in their homes. The Government has provided over £5 million to Metro Mayors to support them in this effort. 

Building safety data

A new national remediation system, now being rolled out by Homes England, will also support regulators with up-to date building safety data and assist in holding any failing landlords to account.

Since publication of the Remediation Action Plan in December last year, 24,000 more residents are now living in homes that have been remediated. According to the Government: “Progress is being made and must continue until every unsafe building is fixed.”