Government unveils cladding fixes pilot for 'unsellable homes'

The Government has unveiled a pilot scheme aimed to help more flat owners whose homes have become unsafe and, in some cases, unsellable due to cladding issues.

The scheme will be funded by the £3bn developer-backed Building Safety Levy, which is currently under consultation.

It will cover developments between 11m and 18m tall where the developer cannot be traced or held responsible for remediation work – for instance because they have gone out of business.

Approximately 60 buildings across England that have interim safety measures in place such as waking watches will be invited to apply for the pilot, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said.

Homes England will be running the pilot and ensuring that building owners or freeholders in targeted buildings get the help they need to assess and fix fire safety defects.

There is also an opportunity for building owners in eligible medium-rise blocks to share their details ahead of the wider rollout to help them prepare and plan for the next phase of the scheme, the statement added.

Lee Rowley, Minister for Local Government and Building Safety, said: “This is an important step forward for leaseholders who have been trapped in unsafe, unsellable homes with unfair costly repair bills for far too long.

“Building owners have the responsibility to get essential cladding repairs done and this scheme will help ensure this happens.

“We are taking action to protect innocent leaseholders and ensure they are safe and secure in their homes. I will be monitoring progress very closely as we work towards the launch next year.”

More details on eligibility and the application process for the full scheme will be announced next year. 

Buildings will be assessed through a fire risk assessment carried out in line with the British Standards Institute PAS 9980 standard, to ensure that recommended work is proportionate, and the funding is properly targeted.

The Building Safety Levy will run alongside pledges by 49 of the country’s biggest homebuilders who have committed at least £2bn to fix life-critical fire-safety cladding defects in buildings over 11 metres they had a role in developing in the past 30 years.