Mayor of London backs Government’s ambition to end capital’s cladding crisis

In the eight year-period since the Grenfell Tower fire, the Mayor has made it a priority to seek justice for the bereaved, survivors and the local community, while also ensuring that Londoners are safe in their homes. This has included bringing in higher safety standards than the rest of England as part of the London Plan and City Hall’s own funding programmes, as well as taking swift action and advocating for quicker remediation of unsafe buildings.  

Under Khan’s leadership, the London Fire Brigade has also completed all of the recommendations made in the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and has made significant reforms to its policies, procedures and equipment to ensure the Brigade is better prepared, organised and equipped to fight fires and keep all Londoners safe.

New coalition

A new coalition, known as the Joint Remediation Partnership Board, met for the first time on 6 May to establish and deliver a plan to end the cladding crisis in London. Chaired jointly by Tom Copley (the Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development) and Building and Fire Safety Minister Alex Norris, the Board includes representatives from the Government, London Councils, the London Fire Brigade, housing associations and regulatory bodies.

The scale of the building safety crisis in London is unprecedented due to the volume and concentration of buildings with unsafe cladding, in addition to the fact that London has four times the national average of high-rise homes.

There are currently 1,513 buildings in Government remediation programmes that have not yet started on site, while progress to remove dangerous cladding from residential buildings had been “far too slow” under the previous Government. Further, there’s a range of national and local organisations with differing roles to deliver remediation and take enforcement action against those responsible for fixing unsafe cladding.

The challenge of remediation in London means that a successful plan to accelerate it cannot be led by City Hall alone. It requires a new and formal partnership approach bringing together national, regional and local level partners who will deliver change by co-ordinating and prioritising the use of powers and resources in London to achieve the Government’s targets for removing dangerous cladding.

The strategy set by the Board will support the Government’s ambition to ensure that, by the end of 2029, all residential buildings over 11 metres tall with unsafe cladding nationwide will either have been remediated or have a date for completion otherwise landlords will be liable for severe penalties for failing to make their buildings safe.

Significant step forward

Sadiq Khan commented: “This is a significant step forward in speeding up the removal of dangerous cladding in London, which had been far too slow under the previous Government. Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe home: a right denied to the residents of Grenfell Tower. I will not stop until we can say with confidence that the failings which led to that 2017 disaster will never be repeated. I will continue to work hand-in-hand with the Government, London Councils, the London Fire Brigade and the sector to take swift action to remove dangerous cladding on buildings as we continue to build a safer capital for all.”

Building and Fire Safety Minister Alex Norris responded: “The pace of remediation has been far too slow. Nearly eight years on from the Grenfell tragedy, far too many people are living in buildings with unsafe cladding. This problem is particularly acute in London, which is why I’m pleased to be working with the Deputy Mayor for London and the Greater London Authority to accelerate the pace of remediation work and ensure residents feel safe and secure in their homes.”

Norris added: “Alongside the London Fire Brigade, London Councils and regulators, we are bringing renewed vigour towards tackling long-overdue issues with unsafe cladding in the capital.”

Ongoing challenges

Charlie Pugsley, Deputy Commissioner and director of prevention, protection and operational policy at the London Fire Brigade, noted: “The creation of the Joint Remediation Partnership Board, and continued support from the Mayor of London, will be key in helping to address the ongoing challenges being faced across London's built environment.”

Pugsley continued: “We support this action being taken to drive forward the remediation required across London’s high-rise and medium-rise residential properties. It’s unacceptable that leaseholders and residents continue to face such uncertainty and stress and, in many cases, a significant financial burden due to these buildings with dangerous cladding still not being remediated.”

In conclusion, Pugsley asserted: “Those responsible for residential buildings have a legal obligation on this matter. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to identify and address the risks in order to keep Londoners safe.”