A call has been made by the National Audit Office (NAO) for a set deadline to ensure the safety of buildings covered in hazardous cladding. The watchdog emphasised the urgency of making thousands of buildings safe, which comes at an estimated cost of £16 billion. Campaigners have been vocal about the sluggish progress in such remediation works since the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which claimed 72 lives.
According to the NAO, there are still 7,229 buildings in England that need identification for hazardous cladding, with concerns that some may never be located. The completion of necessary works to secure all affected buildings might not be accomplished within the next decade. The slow progress has resulted in financial and emotional distress for many, on top of the constant fear of fire.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently allocated £1 billion for the removal of dangerous cladding next year. However, the NAO report highlighted the need to keep taxpayer costs down and ensure that developers contribute under a new levy. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) estimated that 9,000 to 12,000 buildings require remediation to be deemed safe.
As of September 2024, there were 4,821 residential buildings identified with unsafe cladding, representing over a quarter of a million individual homes. Alarmingly, only half of these buildings had commenced or completed remediation works. The NAO report expressed concerns over the slow pace of progress, with the MHCLG’s estimated completion date for cladding remediation set for 2035, which the watchdog deemed challenging.
Among its recommendations, the NAO suggested that the MHCLG should publish a target date for the completion of all affected buildings’ remediation. It also stressed continuous monitoring to ensure achievability as the process advances. To manage risks and stay within the £5.1 billion cap on taxpayer contributions, the department faces the challenge of uncertain income from the Building Safety Levy and the pace of funding by social housing owners.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, highlighted the significant uncertainty surrounding the number of buildings needing remediation, costs, and timelines. He stressed the need to safeguard taxpayers’ money by placing responsibility on developers and implementing a proportional remediation approach. Meanwhile, the urgency to address the cladding crisis and protect taxpayers was emphasised by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
Building safety minister Alex Norris acknowledged the slow pace of remediation and assured actions to meet the £5.1 billion investment commitment. Norris emphasised the government’s determination to hold accountable those responsible for unsafe buildings and protect leaseholders.
The End Our Cladding Scandal campaign group urged the government to follow through on promises and prioritise the safety of residents. With ongoing efforts to expedite remediation and safeguard public funds, the long road ahead in resolving the cladding crisis necessitates swift action and accountability.