Lower-rise buildings with serious fire risks are set to receive extra support under the new funding scheme
Buildings under 11 metres tall with unsafe cladding will join the existing Cladding Safety Scheme and receive prioritised support.
The scheme aims to address an issue that has arisen with buildings that are not covered by existing leaseholder protections, meaning leaseholders can be left with safety issue bills for problems that are not their fault.
New funding will handle the costs
Leaseholders will receive the funds to cover the costs, simultaneously protecting them from costs while ensuring that measures are taken to remediate the cladding or other safety issues, and improve building safety.
This change is part of a wider change to how buildings are prioritised for remediation, in that rather than building height, risk to residents is now the key factor, in an attempt to make an ordered list of the most serious safety concerns.
The funding also covers promises made in the Remediation Action Plan, put in place following the results of the Grenfell Inquiry.
Building safety minister Samantha Dixon said: “Residents shouldn’t be left worrying about living in homes with dangerous, flammable cladding, just because their building isn’t tall enough to qualify for funding.
“That’s why we’re taking action so that buildings posing the greatest risk to life are prioritised, as well as streamlining processes to minimise delays and make responsibilities clear.”
Economic secretary to the treasury, Rachel Blake said: “Too many leaseholders have spent years facing uncertainty and have been unable to move on with their lives because of building safety issues they did not cause.
“As we work to make buildings safer, leaseholders deserve confidence that they are paying a fair price for insurance. The FCA’s review will help us better understand how insurers are pricing and whether leaseholders are getting fair value.”
Strict deadlines for unsafe cladding remediation
The Remediation Action Plan was updated in July last year to include a new joint plan and a legal deadline for removing unsafe cladding in high-rise buildings.
The Chartered Institute of Housing commented on the update at the time, with Gavin Smart, CIH chief executive, saying: “We welcome the announcement of new funding, legislation and a joint plan to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding. This is a vital step forward in delivering the safe, decent homes all residents deserve — and in strengthening trust and accountability across our housing system.
“This is a strong signal that government and the housing sector are jointly prioritising building safety and acting on lessons learned since Grenfell. We support the focus on clear timelines, stronger enforcement powers, and resident engagement — and we will be working with our members and partners to help implement the plan in practice.”
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