Chancellor urged to find cladding cash

MANCHESTER residents ‘trapped’ in tower-blocks with Grenfell-style cladding have urged Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to find money in this week’s budget to help them.

Meanwhile, a government committee has launched a new inquiry to review the progress in removing potentially dangerous cladding and the adequacy of Whitehall funding.

In a letter to the Chancellor, Fran Reddington of the campaign group Manchester Cladiators asks him to act to tackle ‘a crisis which is ruining our lives...and the lives of thousands of other residents.’

In a joint letter with the leaders of three other pressure groups around the UK, she adds: “We are talking about the crisis of buildings which are not safe. The best-known issues are with combustible cladding, but the crisis extends far beyond this, to insulation, missing fire breaks and serious internal defects. It is a scandal which is having multiple serious impacts on human lives and the economy.”

She adds that £600m in funding pledged by the government is strictly limited to buildings with aluminium composite material above 18 metres.

“This has created a lottery where those who live in buildings not covered by the fund are totally abandoned. The £200m made available for the private sector has also proved woefully difficult to access with only one building so far approved.

“The efforts to cajole or persuade private sector organisations to act by appealing to their moral duty has also largely failed. We need tough action not talk.”

She urges the Chancellor to show ‘the leadership needed’ and to set up a building safety fund – not just limited to specific materials used on Grenfell.

“The government can give itself the power to recoup this money by pursuing developers, insurers or others who are liable through the courts.

“Providing the money up front allows vital work to go ahead without delay and without burdening homeowners with the cost.”

A taskforce to oversee the work must also be set up, she adds.

Manchester Cladiators are against a loan scheme which the government is considering as ‘burdening stretched leaseholders with debt is unfair and would legitimise the transfer of costs to residents.’

As reported in the M.E.N. last month the residents face massive hikes in service charges, living in fear of a fire and damaged mental health, according to a new survey.

The report was carried out by the Greater Manchester HighRise Task Force which was set up by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham following the fire at Grenfell Tower.

It provides clear evidence of the impact of the financial worries that home owners in buildings with fire safety deficiencies across the region face.

Seven out of ten residents living in high rise buildings said they are worried about a fire in their building.

They endure increasing levels of anxiety, difficulty sleeping and feel trapped.