A 2029 deadline for removing dangerous cladding from tall buildings has been set by the Government, as part of a new Remediation Action Plan.
The deadline means that, by the end of 2029, all buildings more than 59 feet (18 metres) tall with unsafe cladding, that are on a government scheme, will have been remediated.
By the same date, every building more than 11 metres tall with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated, have a date for completion, or the landlords will be liable for severe penalties.
The plan seeks to identify at-risk buildings faster and fix them quicker. It identifies the main barriers to remediation as landlord reluctance, constrained regulatory capacity, and funding, and outlines plans to legislate to give regulators new enforcement powers.
Cllr Heather Kidd, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “Councils are committed to keeping tenants and residents safe, and are keen to work with government to drive the pace of remediation. However, for local government to carry out enforcement and address cladding issues as effectively and quickly as possible, multi-year funding arrangements are needed.”
Separately, the Government has rejected calls by the LGA for the new building safety levy to be collected through the centrally administered residential property developer tax, rather than individually by 296 local authorities in England.
The LGA continues to work with government to ensure that the process is as streamlined as possible, to minimise the administrative burden, and that there is a mechanism for full cost recovery, see www.local.gov.uk/building-safety-levy.