News
Developers told to pay for £4 billion scheme to remove dangerous cladding from buildings
Housing Minister Michael Gove has pledged to fix a "broken system".
The Manc -
10th January 2022 
Developers are being told they will need to pay for a new £4 billion government scheme to fix unsafe cladding on buildings in England.
Housing Minister Michael Gove has warned housebuilders they will need to fund the repairs or face laws forcing them to act.
Gove said that the reforms would help to protect leaseholders and fix a “broken system”.
Plans include more money for fire alarms, a review of the scale of the work required, and an extension of the time in which leaseholders can sue builders for defective flats (widening the window from six years to 30 years after construction).
Further details of the scheme are set to be unveiled later on Monday (January 10) as Gove meets with leaseholders of affected buildings and campaign groups.
Leaseholders across Britain have been facing financial ruin due to the cladding scandal – with many left trapped in unsafe and unsellable homes.
An investigation following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 revealed that hundreds of blocks of flats in England were at risk, with owners initially told to pay for the essential fire safety repairs.
A significant protest has been underway ever since as leaseholders campaign for government support.
£5 billion has been committed to removing cladding from taller buildings so far.
Representatives at the End Our Cladding Scandal group expressed cautious optimism ahead of the meeting with the Housing Minister, but also declared the need for more action.
“This may be a step in the right direction, but the devil’s in the detail,” the group stated on Twitter.
“Leaseholders need protection in law [and] more urgent action on the ground.”
Featured image: Chatham House / Flickr
