Welcome news for cladding victims

A significant number of developers have agreed to help fix the unsafe apartment blocks they constructed. The 35 companies have agreed to remediate their own buildings over 11 metres erected over the past 30 years.

Those signing up include

Barratt Developments, Persimmon, Berkeley Group and Taylor Wimpey. Housing Secretary Michael Gove said it was a “significant step” and warned that companies failing to fix the blighted high rise apartments they have worked on in the past 30 years will face consequences.

He said: “We will do whatever it takes to hold industry to account, and under our new measures there will be nowhere to hide.”

The Government is also introducing new powers to force firms that fail to sign up to or who breach the new agreements.

The scheme to help solve the devastating cladding and building safety crisis will also be partly funded through an extension to the building safety levy, chargeable to all new residential buildings in England to help pay for remediation where the developers cannot be found.

Those who live in the high rise apartments affected by the scandal have fought valiantly for five years for justice and their pain is not over yet. It could take years for the buildings to be put right and meanwhile they struggle to sell and to meet increased insurance and fire safety costs of living in an unsafe block

The End Our Cladding Scandal Campaign groups says: “This is a welcome step, particularly the commitment to fund works where developers cannot be traced. Much depends on how the principles announced today translate into action building by building.

“This agreement calls for intensive supervision by the government. If that does not happen then this agreement will not work.”