ENGINEERING

UK government and homebuilders are ploughing money into cladding to enhance industry safety – but can changes happen quickly enough as cases head to the courts ?

WRITTEN BY : DOMINIC ELLIS

The UK Government has announced £ 3.5 billion to replace unsafe cladding for all leaseholders in residential buildings 18 metres ( 6 storeys ) and over in England . To pay for cladding remediation costs , a new tax , earmarked for the UK residential property development sector , will raise at least £ 2 billion over a decade , along with a ‘ Gateway 2 ’ developer levy on certain highrise buildings .

The government said funding is targeted at the highest risk buildings in line with longstanding independent expert advice and evidence , with Home Office analysis of fire and rescue showing buildings between 18-30 metres are four times as likely to suffer a fire with fatalities or serious casualties than apartment buildings .

Lower-rise buildings , with less safety risk , will gain new protection from the costs of cladding removal with a new scheme offered to buildings between 11 and 18 metres . This will pay for cladding removal – where it is needed – through long-term , low interest , government-backed financing .

Under the scheme , no leaseholder will ever pay more than £ 50 a month towards the removal of unsafe cladding . " This will provide reassurance and security to leaseholders , and mortgage providers can be confident that where cladding removal is needed , properties will be worth lending against ," it states . A ban on combustible materials on new high-rise homes and replacing unsafe aluminium composite material ( ACM ) cladding , was introduced in November 2018 .

56 April 2021