Safer Homes, Faster: Government expands support for residents living with unsafe cladding
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Buildings with the highest risk to life prioritised for remediation
works under the Cladding Safety Scheme. New
funding will be made available to the highest-risk
buildings under 11 metres. Comes as new review is launched
into building insurance costs to understand whether they
are fair for leaseholders. Dangerous cladding will be
removed from lower-rise buildings with serious fire safety
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Dangerous cladding will be removed from lower-rise buildings with serious fire safety risks, thanks to new government funding to accelerate remediation action in the most unsafe buildings. The new funding for under 11 metre buildings will be part of the existing Cladding Safety Scheme, with support prioritised for those facing the greatest risk. Serious cladding problems are less common in lower-rise buildings, and they are not covered by existing leaseholder protections. As a result, leaseholders can be left facing large bills to fix safety issues they did not cause. The new funding will help protect leaseholders from these costs and ensure the most unsafe buildings can be made safe. It is part of a wider change to how buildings are prioritised for remediation. Instead of focusing mainly on building height, the government will prioritise buildings based on the risk they pose to residents, ensuring those with the most serious safety concerns are addressed first. Today's announcement delivers on commitments set out in the Remediation Acceleration Plan and builds on work to address the failings set out in the Grenfell Inquiry. The upcoming Remediation Bill will go even further to ensure landlords deliver on their responsibility to fix unsafe buildings. Building Safety Minister, Samantha Dixon said: Residents shouldn't be left worrying about living in homes with dangerous, flammable cladding, just because their building isn't tall enough to qualify for funding. That's why we're taking action so that buildings posing the greatest risk to life are prioritised, as well as streamlining processes to minimise delays and make responsibilities clear. To further support leaseholders, the government has welcomed a new review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) into how insurance premiums for buildings with fire safety risks have changed since the FCA brought in new rules in 2023. The review will look at how insurers' pricing approaches have changed over time, how firms are considering leaseholders' interests when assessing whether their products deliver fair value, and how building remediation work is being taken into account in insurers' risk assessments. Rachel Blake, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said:
"Too many leaseholders have spent years facing uncertainty and
have been unable to move on with their lives because of building
safety issues they did not cause. It supports wider efforts to make sure building safety issues are fixed quickly and fairly, without leaving leaseholders facing unreasonable costs. Following discussions with industry and resident groups, the government has also confirmed a range of changes to improve building safety regulation while reducing unnecessary delays. The changes include:
Together, these changes will help keep residents safe while reducing unnecessary bureaucracy that can slow down essential building safety work. Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "We welcome the government's decision to prioritise building safety remediation according to risk and to extend funding to lower-rise buildings with the most serious safety concerns. This is an approach the sector has long called for, as height alone is not a reliable measure of risk, and will ensure capacity is directed to where it's needed most. "Housing associations continue to work hard to make all their buildings safe. The social housing sector is leading the way on remediation, but the scale and complexity of the challenge mean government support remains essential. "This announcement is an important step towards accelerating remediation and ensuring residents in buildings of all heights feel safe in their homes. We will continue to work closely with the government to ensure all buildings with serious external wall safety risks are remediated as quickly as possible." ENDS Notes to editors:
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