NEWS
Manufacturers should pay the cladding bill M embers of Parliament have called on the government to make construction product manufacturers contribute to the cost of fixing unsafe buildings, as the national cladding crisis shows little sign of resolution eight years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy. A new report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has revealed the true scale of the challenge, warning that the government still does not know how many buildings are affected, how much remediation will cost or how long it will take. When first assessed in 2020, the crisis was expected to cost £600 million to remediate 450 high- rise buildings. Now, the estimate stands between £12.6 billion and £22.4 billion, covering as many as 12,000 buildings. Despite developers being subject to the building safety levy, the PAC noted that manufacturers have yet to contribute. PAC members are urging ministers to publish proposals by the end of 2025 on how manufacturers should pay. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, PAC chair, said: “Eight years after Grenfell, it is still not known how many buildings out there have dangerous cladding, and when it will be removed. That vow remains unkept for every day that is still the case.” The PAC warned that funding pressures may be affecting new housebuilding, particularly in the social housing sector, where housing starts in London have dropped by 90% year-on-year. It further criticised the system for weak fraud controls, reporting that £500,000 had been lost from the Building Safety Fund.
Signs of improvement in regulator delays
T he Building Safety Regulator (BSR), widely criticised for delays to high-rise construction approvals, is starting to show signs of improvement, according to Building Safety Minister Alex Norris. Since October 2023, developers have been required to seek BSR approval before starting work on buildings over 18 metres high or seven storeys. However, turnaround times have been lengthy – between 24 and 48 weeks – causing project delays and job losses. Industry players have recently called for a full review. But Norris, responding to a written parliamentary question, said, “We have put in place a range of mitigations including additional funding
aimed at boosting BSR capacity for additional building control caseworkers… This has already resulted in some green shoots of improvement.” He said the BSR is now advising applicants to expect a 16-week turnaround for Gateway 2 applications, though older and transferred cases may take longer. “It is important to recognise that BSR is a newly established operational regulator… If applications for buildings do not meet the standard and pose a risk to life, BSR will not approve them,” Norris added. The FMB will continue
to push for clarity and efficiency in regulatory processes, particularly where small builders are affected.
13
Master Builder
www.fmb.org.uk
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online