Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove (pictured) has said that he will be a “applying a vice-like grip to…nether regions” of developers who fail to sign cladding remediation contracts.
The response came from topical questions to the Department for Levelling in the House of Commons yesterday.
The Department for Levelling Up said that around 43 developers have signed its cladding remediation contracts, up from 39 the week previously.
The contracts state the developers need to take responsibility for “all necessary works” to fix life-threatening fire safety defects for buildings over 11 metres that were built and refurbished in the last 30 years.
Gove confirmed that developers who fail to fix buildings will be prevented from carrying out major developments or will be prevented from getting building control sign-offs. The regulation is expected to come into force by early summer.
Government is ‘impactful, effective and focused’
Shadow Secretary of Levelling Up Lisa Nandy claimed that Gove’s flagship Levelling Up fund had only been able to get eight per cent of funds out of the door.
Gove pointed to the Spring Budget where £400m was put aside for Levelling Up partnerships.
He continued that constituencies had “received support, had projects delivered and seen change delivered”.
He also confirmed that the Department for Levelling Up was planning to bring forward legislation to reform leasehold.
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
