INDUSTRY UPDATE NEWS
Leaseholders’ cladding victory T he Upper Tribunal has ruled that leaseholders at Centre Point House in London will not have to pay for the cost of removing unsafe cladding – a decision expected to have major implications for construction. The case, Almacantar Centre Point Nominee No.1 Ltd v Penelope de Valk & Ors, saw landlord Almacantar argue that leaseholders should bear the cost of façade remediation through service charges. The Tribunal said no, confirming that leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act 2022 apply. The judgment said cladding remediation should be treated differently from other building defects. The Tribunal rejected Almacantar’s attempts to limit protections by arguing that the problems stemmed from the building’s original 1960s design. It found instead that parliament’s intention was unambiguous: “no leaseholder living in their own flat would
Mike Reader MP backs licensing while appearing on the FMB’s Build Up from the Basement podcast
MP supports licensing
G overnment Construction Champion Mike Reader MP backs industry licensing and calls the industry skills shortage a “national emergency”. Speaking on the FMB’s Build Up from the Basement podcast, the MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Infrastructure said small builders are crucial to raising standards and meeting housing targets. On skills, Reader called for a new approach to recruitment and training, favouring intensive “boot camp” programmes over traditional work experience. He pressed for earlier engagement with young people through a GCSE in the built environment. “We should be introducing people a lot younger to
the built environment,” he said. Turning to modern methods of construction, Reader said 3D printing and other innovations should sit alongside traditional trades rather than replace them. “We will always have a need for specialist trades,” he stressed. Reader noted progress on retrofit licensing following recommendations from the Energy Security Select Committee. The government has committed to forming an industry panel to protect consumers and professionally recognise skilled trades. FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry said it’s “a significant step towards protecting consumers and raising standards.” He praised Reader’s insight and political backing, adding that licensing was a long-standing FMB campaign priority.
pay a penny to fix dangerous cladding”. The ruling confirmed that unsafe cladding does not need to present a fire risk to
Builder fined for school safety issue
A Bath building contractor has been fined over £100,000 after an employee was killed when a retaining wall collapsed at a school site. Gary Anstey, 57, from Bristol, was working for H Mealing & Sons at Swainswick School in March 2019 when the 1.8-metre-high wall gave way. The structure, which had not been properly supported, became unstable
after a load of aggregate was placed against it. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to plan the work adequately. Guidance requires temporary structures be designed, installed and able to withstand loads. In this case, no suitable design or written plan was provided to operatives, leaving the wall vulnerable to collapse.
qualify – a system can be deemed unsafe if it poses other hazards, such as panels or windows falling out. For small builders, the decision brings clarity. It reinforces that remediation responsibility lies with landlords and developers, not residents, and it sets a broad interpretation of what counts as cladding and unsafe conditions.
10
Master Builder
www.fmb.org.uk
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online