Government to fully fund unsafe cladding removal in social housing

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has announced that it will fully fund the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding by councils and housing associations, estimated at £400 million.

In the wake of last year’s Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government said that aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding on buildings over 18 metres which was not compliant with building regulations guidance should be remediated by the building owners. Now, local authorities and housing associations will be given access to the money to help with reasonable costs of removing and replacing unsafe cladding from buildings which they own.

The government will also continue to provide financial flexibilities to councils for other essential fire safety measures and is directing local authorities to take cladding-related issues into account when carrying out reviews of housing conditions in their areas.

Housing Secretary James Brokenshire said: “People must always feel safe in their own home. Since the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, we have taken steps to ensure the immediate safety of all high rise buildings. This money will ensure local authorities and housing associations are being given the support they need to get this work done now as well as removing the uncertainty around funding.”