Dandara Living is the latest developer to sign the government’s building safety remediation contract. It leaves only Rydon Homes and Abbey Developments in the list of firms that have not signed yet.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) published a list on 14 March of the companies that had failed to sign by the set time frame, as well as those that had complied.
Days after the list was published, London Square, Telford Homes, Ballymore and Inland Homes confirmed they had signed the contract, followed by Galliard Homes and Emerson Developments in April.
Viva Midco, the parent company for Avant Homes, was the latest developer to be taken off the list of developers that had not signed the government’s building safety remediation contract on 2 May.
‘A diligent corporate governance process’
Lendlease published a statement on 22 March saying it had signed the remediation document after meeting with its global board.
A spokesperson for Lendlease said: “This decision follows a thorough and diligent corporate governance process to ensure it has been given the detailed consideration it deserves in the context of our global business.”
However, Lendlease added that it had not received any specific claims relating to the buildings it inherited from Crosby Homes after purchasing it in 2005.
“Many of the buildings we’ve been associated with were not originally developed by Lendlease and, prior to the signing of the contract, a dedicated Lendlease team was already working with building owners to assess buildings it is deemed responsible for and resolve any remediation issues,” a company statement said.
‘Only responsible developers welcome’
Housing secretary Michael Gove threatened in January to put out of business those developers that did not sign the contract, a claim he repeated later in parliament.
“To those developers that have failed to sign the contract without good reason, let me be very clear – we are coming after you,” Gove said. “If you do not sign, you will not be able to operate freely in the housing market. Your investors will see that your business model is broken – only responsible developers are welcome here.”
The legally binding contract commits the signatories to spend at least £2bn on repairs to buildings in England of 11m and above that they have developed or refurbished in the past 30 years.
It aims to address the cladding issues following the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy.
In addition to the Building Safety Levy, developers responsible for unsafe buildings will have to pay an estimated £5bn to fix them.
Two companies remain on the list of developers that have not signed the contract, including the parent company of the lead contractor of the Grenfell Tower refurbishment.
This article was updated on 27 June.
