The fund will meet the cost for removing unsafe non-ACM
cladding on residential buildings that are 18m and over.
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However, for leaseholders living in buildings owned by
providers in the social sector, the it will also provide funding to meet the
provider’s costs which would otherwise have been borne by leaseholders.
The fund adds to the £600m already set aside for the
replacement of ACM cladding systems.
Applications to the scheme can be progressed alongside the
development of the remediation project.
Details were unveiled as the government published an
amendment to Approved Document B to ensure that sprinkler systems and
consistent wayfinding signage are mandatory in all new high-rise blocks over 11m
tall.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “I will not accept
any excuses from building owners who have yet to take action and those responsible
should register for the fund so that they can start the remediation process
immediately. I have also reached an agreement with local leaders so that this
important work can continue safely during the pandemic.”
Building safety minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “Now that
this additional £1bn funding is in place, building owners must crack on with
removing flammable cladding on all high-rise residential buildings that are
over 18 metres.
“The government will work with the Mayor of London and our metro
mayors as well as local councils to ensure that these vital building safety
works are finally carried out, so that people are safe in their homes.
“Our Fire Safety Bill, which was introduced to parliament
last month, will empower fire and rescue services to take enforcement action
and hold building owners to account if they do not comply with law.”
As of the end of March this year, remediation work on more than
two-thirds of high-rise residential and publicly owned buildings with dangerous
ACM cladding systems was incomplete. Work on 144 buildings had finished, while
313 were still to be remediated.
The government has also faced calls to extend its new fire
safety measures, with contractor Beard calling for mandatory sprinklers in all
high-rise buildings, rather than only those residential blocks over 11m.
