The Government this week introduced the Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill to Parliament, two years after its initial announcement in 2025, with legal penalties of up to £500K for failing to comply, and a “simpler route to pursuing cladding manufacturers to recover remediation costs.”
The Ministry of Housing said: “Nine years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, there are still too many buildings with unsafe cladding and too many people feeling trapped.”
The Ministry said that the 2025 publication of the Remediation Acceleration Plan, over 470 more buildings “are reported to have completed cladding remediation – helping around 35,000 more residents to feel safer in their homes.”
The Bill brings forward a new legal duty on those responsible for the safety of their buildings, such as freeholders, to “identify, assess, and fix issues without delay – anyone who obstructs this work could face criminal penalties,” said the announcement from the Ministry of Housing.
There will be a “stronger enforcement framework to sanction responsible entity that fail to comply with a Remediation Order, enabling the First-tier Tribunal to hand down financial penalties of up to £500,000.”
Developers, contractors footing the bill for remediation will “have a simpler and more effective route to pursue cladding manufacturers to recover remediation costs, where their products have contributed to a building being unsafe – unblocking technical legal barriers that have too often stood in the way.”
There will also be a new register of all medium rise residential buildings in England to “help ensure no building falls through the net,” with further financial penalties for owners failing to register buildings of up to £40,000.
Fire risk appraisals of external walls (FRAEWs) will now require a “consistent approach where buildings are judged on the same basis, and risks identified through independently audited, evidence-based assessment.” In addition, greater transparency on proposed work will be needed such as in sharing plans and timescales with residents.
The Government says that by the end of 2029, every building over 11 metres with unsafe cladding should either have been remediated or have a clear date for completion, although the tougher powers for failing to comply will “become available before this.”
Building Safety Minister, Baroness Blake said: “It’s unacceptable that so many people have been left living in homes with dangerous cladding, anxiously waiting for those responsible to take action.”
She added: “Crucially, the Bill will ensure all residents have a route to remediation, regulators have the powers they need to take action and that for all residents currently waiting, an end is in sight.”