Building boss slams ‘unjust’ cladding levy

BRITAIN’S biggest housebuilder has slammed Michael Gove’s plans to make developers pay to fix unsafe homes as ‘unjust and disproportionate’.

Barratt Developments boss David Thomas yesterday wrote to the Housing Secretary expressing his ‘deep disappointment’ that a £3billion levy – originally aimed at firms building high-rise blocks – would now be industry wide. It comes on top of a £3billion developer tax, which already targets the sector.

Mr Thomas also said that the expansion of the levy punishes those ‘who were not responsible’ for the cladding scandal.

Mr Gove tore up government policy in January when he scrapped a previous loan scheme for leaseholders and said developers should bear the full cost of fixing cladding and other defects in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell fire.

He also threatened to shut out building firms that refused to contribute to a new building safety fund. More than 35 housebuilders have so far agreed to provide at least £2billion to repair buildings taller than 11 metres.

A government spokesman said that building safety ‘is an industry-wide failure’ and added: ‘We make no apologies for making developers pay’.