Coalition commits to ending London's cladding crisis

A new coalition made up of City Hall, Government, local councils, the London Fire Brigade and regulatory bodies will lead vital work to end London’s building cladding crisis.

The Joint Remediation Partnership Board will establish and oversee a plan to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding on residential buildings over 11metres, including buildings in London that fall under Government, private developer and social housing remediation programmes.

The board met for the first time on Tuesday co-chaired by The deputy mayor of London for housing, Tom Copley and minister for building safety and fire Alex Norris. Also in attendance were leaders from the London Fire Brigade, London Councils, the Building Safety Regulator, the Regulator for Social Housing, Homes England and MHCLG.

The London Fire Brigade has already completed all of the recommendations made in the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and has made significant reforms to its policies, procedures and equipment to ensure the force is better prepared, organised and equipped to fight fires.

London has four times the national average of high-rise home.  

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This is a significant step forward in speeding up the removal of dangerous cladding in London, which had been far too slow under the previous Government.  

“Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe home – a right denied to the residents of Grenfell Tower. I will not stop until we can say with confidence that the failings which led to this disaster will never be repeated. I will continue to work hand-in-hand with the Government, London Councils, the London Fire Brigade and the sector to take swift action to remove dangerous cladding on buildings as we continue to build a safer London for everyone.”

Building and fire safety minister, Alex Norris, said: “The pace of remediation has been far too slow and nearly eight years on from the Grenfell Fire tragedy far too many people are living in buildings with unsafe cladding.

“This problem is particularly acute in London, which is why I'm pleased to be working with the Deputy Mayor for London and the Greater London Authority to accelerate the pace of remediation work in London, and ensure residents feel safe and secure in their homes.

“Alongside the London Fire Brigade, London Councils and regulators, we are bringing renewed vigour to tackling long-overdue issues with unsafe cladding in the capital.”