Private sector continues to lag behind on cladding remediation

The private sector is still lagging behind the public sector when it comes to the remediation of flammable cladding on high-rise residential buildings, despite the availability of government funding.

The Building Safety Programme’s latest figures, for December 2019 in England, showed that 143 private sector blocks still hadn’t seen remediation works start, while work has started on 31 buildings and is complete on just 23. That compared to the social residential sector where work is complete on 68 buildings and has started on another 77. There are 14 social sector buildings where remediation works still haven’t started.

Overall, there are 135 high-rise residential and publicly owned buildings in England that have now completed remediation works to remove aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems, which was an increase of eight since the end of November.

That leaves a total of 315 high-rise residential and publicly owned buildings with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet building regulations yet to be remediated in England, two and a half years on from the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Buildings applying and approved for the Private Sector Remediation Fund (Source: MHCLG)

While there were 82 applications for cash from a government pot for remediation works on private tower blocks with dangerous cladding, so far only one building owner has secured full funding. Three others have had their applications approved for pre-contract support. The official deadline for applications was 31 December 2019, although the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is understood to still be accepting applications.

Of the 197 private residential buildings with ACM cladding, 75 have seen the developer or freeholder commit to fund remediation work, 23 have had a warranty claim accepted, 92 are in scope for government funding, and the funding solution is unclear for a further seven buildings.

Remediation progress for buildings with ACM cladding systems showing change since January 2019 (Source: MHCLG)