30.11.18
Councils to have ‘full backing’ as government announces ban on Grenfell-style cladding
The government has banned combustible materials such as those used on Grenfell Tower on new high-rise homes and buildings and given councils the power to strip unsafe cladding from residential buildings.
James Brokenshire said local authorities would be given full support to carry out the emergency remedial work, assuring councils that they would be able to recover their costs from building owners.
The ban will include combustible material on new high-rise homes, schools and hospitals as well as private residential buildings over 18m tall.
The communities secretary announced that financial support was available if necessary to allow buildings to be made permanently safe without delay, with the government giving its “full backing” to banning the unsafe cladding.
It was also announced that the government would be taking action to speed up the replacement of unsafe ACM cladding – the type used on Grenfell Tower.
Brokenshire commented: “Everyone has a right to feel safe in their homes and I have repeatedly made clear that building owners and developers must replace dangerous ACM cladding. And the costs must not be passed on to leaseholders.
“My message is clear – private building owners must pay for this work now or they should expect to pay more later.”
The ban will come into effect on 21 December after new legislation was today laid down in Parliament.
Brokenshire finally revealed back in June the plans to ban the use of combustible cladding on high-rise residential buildings, after a consultation on the banning of these materials was published.
It is believed that the cladding used on Grenfell Tower, where a fire tragically killed 72 people, was unlawful under the existing building recommendations and should never have been used.
Back in December last year, Dame Judith Hackitt recommended a simpler, more robust approach to the construction and management of high-rise residential buildings.
Image credit - David Mirzoeff, PA Wire
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