“My Government will bring
forward a Bill to
speed up remediation for
people living in homes with unsafe
cladding”
- Nearly nine years on from the Grenfell Tower Fire tragedy,
there are still too many buildings with unsafe cladding. The
cladding safety crisis continues to endanger lives, and leave
people stuck in unsuitable homes they're unable to sell.
- The Remediation Bill delivers on the manifesto commitments
to fix the cladding crisis and make those responsible pay
towards fixing the problem they caused.
What does the
Bill do?
- The Government is committed to driving forward remediation,
that is, the removal of unsafe cladding which is putting lives
at risk. This Bill will tackle those who are blocking
remediation, restore confidence in the housing market, and make
sure no building, and no resident, is left behind.
- The Bill will:
-
-
Make construction product manufacturers pay
towards fixing the problem they caused, by
fixing long-standing gaps in the law and ending years of
inaction. For the first time developers, contractors and
others who have paid to make buildings safe will be able
to properly pursue manufacturers, rather than being
blocked by technical legal barriers.
-
Equip regulators with the powers they need to
compel action, and bring the cladding safety crisis to an
end. It is unacceptable that the current regime
lacks the severe sanctions needed to punish those who
continuously and egregiously block remediation.
-
Introduce a
new legal
duty to
remediate, compelling those responsible
for the safety of their buildings, such as freeholders,
to identify, assess, and fix their buildings without
delay. Those responsible must act, or face the
consequences, including criminal prosecution, in the most
egregious and severe cases.
-
Mandate how external wall assessments are carried
out, to ensure a nationally consistent approach
to remediation work, and introduce an 11-18 metre
register to identify all remaining buildings requiring
remediation work. For the first time, the Government will have a
complete record of all medium-rise buildings in England – putting
an end to the information gap and improving system readiness if
new risks affect homes.
-
-
Implement a remediation backstop to
allow a third party, such as Homes England, to step in
and carry out remediation work themselves, ensuring that
residents have a route to remediation even where the
responsible party is determined to ignore their duty to
keep residents safe. This will be backed by tough
sanctions so they cannot benefit, including cost recovery
and potential sale of their interest.
-
Fix gaps
in previous
legislation to
protect residents
and guarantee a route to
remediation – even where ownership is absent,
unclear, or negligent.
- Every building made safe allows those who are stuck in
unsuitable housing, through no fault of their own, to sell
their flats and move on with their lives.
Territorial extent
and application
- The Bill will extend to England and Wales. The majority of
measures will apply in England only.
Key facts
-
Of the
4,310 buildings
that are
11 metres
and above
in England
that have been identified with
unsafe cladding, work has been completed on only 35 per
cent. Too many of those responsible are not
complying with their obligations to make their buildings
safe. Regulators have had to take enforcement action at over
800 buildings with suspected unsafe cladding.
-
The Government, and some members of the construction
industry, are funding the
cost of
remediating external
wall defects. The
Government has committed £5.15 billion to remediate buildings
in England, and the cost to the
53 developers who have signed the Developer Remediation Contract
is estimated at £4.2 billion for buildings they are responsible
for. Construction product manufacturers have yet to contribute
towards the cost of fixing the problem they caused. As yet, no
claim against a manufacturer has been brought to court. The
Remediation Bill takes important steps to address this position,
and the Government will continue work to ensure manufacturers
play their part, including financially.
-
Too many buildings still lack clear, robust
assessments of their external
walls,
delaying
remediation
and
leaving
residents
exposed
to
unacceptable risk. The Bill will put into law
the standards and assurance practices already proven across
government remediation programmes. It will legally require Fire
Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEWs) surveys to follow the
PAS 9980 framework, providing a clear, proportionate and
evidence-based methodology for assessing external wall risks. The
Building Standards Institute is also working to finalise its
review of PAS 9980 in summer 2026.
-
The ongoing cladding safety crisis is blighting lives
across the country. Those stuck in unremediated
buildings are unable to feel safe in their homes, and unable
to sell up and move on. They also face higher costs. The
Financial Conduct Authority has found there was an 187 per
cent increase in insurance premiums for buildings with
identified flammable cladding from 2016 to 2021. The
continued presence of unsafe cladding undermines confidence
in the safety, value, and viability
of living in, and owning,
flats.
-
The Chair of the Building Safety Regulator Board,
Lord Andrew Roe KFSM, said “The
Remediation Bill will give us additional tools we need to
compel reluctant landlords to take action to remediate their
buildings and remove unsafe cladding,
or face severe
sanctions.” “Everyone deserves
to feel safe and be
safe in their homes.
The Bill will help
us achieve that goal.”
-
The London Fire Brigade Commissioner, Jonathan , said “We
welcome this announcement and
the continued progress
toward legislation that will
help address fire safety
risks in
high-rise residential
buildings.” “Nearly nine years
on from the Grenfell
Tower Fire, there remain
far too many buildings
with serious fire safety issues. Ensuring that
remediation progresses more effectively is critically
important to restoring the confidence of residents in the
safety of their homes.”
