Government fund for cladding remediation work not enough

The Greater Manchester High Rise Task Force has argued that the government’s £1 billion Building Safety Fund will not be enough to make high rise and high risk buildings safe from fire.

The High Rise Task Force, which draws together Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, the ten local authorities, universities, housing providers and other key services, claims that buildings in Greater Manchester alone may need a quarter of the funding.

More than one-fifth of high rise buildings in Greater Manchester have identified significant fire safety deficiencies relating to their construction or refurbishment. If this is representative of the national picture then over 2000 high rise buildings are likely to be affected.

In its written submission to the Inquiry into Cladding Remediation, the Task Force has made clear that although a welcome development the fund for non-ACM cladding will not be sufficient to address the fire safety deficiencies in high rise buildings let alone other high risk premises. The average cost for remediation of buildings in Greater Manchester is in the region of £4 million. This means that approximately 25 per cent of the Fund could be required for remediation of high rise buildings within Greater Manchester alone.

Salford Mayor Paul Dennett, who has chaired the Task Force since its inception in 2017, said: “While I welcome the government’s creation of the Building Safety Fund, it’s simply not enough. Residents in Greater Manchester are worried sick about living in buildings which have been assessed as unsafe if there is a fire. This is compounded during the coronavirus crisis with many residents staying at home as much as possible to protect themselves and others. Not only do they live with the anxiety of a fire occurring in their building, many now risk losing their jobs and face mounting costs for essential interim fire safety measures and increased insurance and mortgage costs.

“The Committee heard directly from the Manchester Cladiators about how this national industrial crisis is affecting residents many of whom feel their lives are on hold. In Greater Manchester we have and will continue to do all we can to support our residents but the government must act to ensure there is immediate assistance and confirm that adequate funds will be made available to ensure the safety of all affected buildings. It’s not good enough to leave people wondering if the money will run out before remediation work reaches their building.”