The government has paid out £248m to 12 local authorities and 31 housing associations to remove and replace unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings.
The money is the first tranche of an estimated £400m pledged by the government to remove dangerous cladding from social, residential buildings which are 18m or higher in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
The government is paying 80% of the estimated eligible costs up front when work starts, with the remaining 20% when the work is complete and final costs are known.
Secretary of state for communities, James Brokenshire said: “There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their homes and that is why I am pleased the £400 million funding has started to be released.
“We are doing the right thing by residents and fully funding the replacement of unsafe ACM cladding in social housing buildings 18 metres or above.”
Meanwhile, he reiterated his warning to private sector landlords to protect leaseholders from the cost of cladding removal and replacement.
“I want to see landlords protect leaseholders from these costs. I am pleased that a number have stepped forward to do so, including Barratt Developments, Legal & General, Taylor Wimpey, Mace and Peabody. However, there are some who are not engaging in this process. If they don’t, I have ruled nothing out,” he said.
The latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show that over 75% of social housing buildings with unsafe ACM cladding have completed remediation or are currently removing and replacing the cladding, with plans in place for the remaining 25%.
The government confirmed last month that it is banning the use of combustible materials on all residential high-rise buildings above 18 metres and full details of the ban and how the recommendations of the Hackitt review will be implemented will be published later this year.
