The scheme will mean costs associated with removing unsafe cladding in mid-rise buildings will be covered by government funding, which means leaseholders will be protected from costs where a “responsible developer cannot be made to pay”.
All buildings in England over 11 metres will be eligible and high rise buildings over 18 metres outside of London where work has been recommended will be eligible, and it will also be available for social housing.
The government said that thousands more mid-rise buildings will now qualify for funding, helping tens of thousands of residents across England to gain a “pathway to a safe home, with no cost whatsoever to leaseholders in the building”.
The scheme will be funded by £5.1bn allocated by the government and revenue from the Building Safety Levy on new development.
Building owners who believe they are eligible need to apply through the Home s England cladding Safety Scheme application portal and leaseholders or residents who think they ae eligible should offer further information on the building with the Homes England “Tell us” tool.
‘Providing peace of mind and protection’
Peter Denton, chief executive of Homes England, said: “The Cladding Safety Scheme pilot was an important step in removing the cost burden on leaseholders trapped in unsafe homes and built on the progress made on building safety.
“The full rollout of the programme allows us to go even further. Our team is ready to go, and we expect thousands of buildings to benefit over the next decade.
“We will continue to work with Department for Levelling Up to ensure the pace we’re working at is maintained, so we can bring peace of mind and protection to the millions of people whose lives have been affected by unsafe cladding.”
Earlier this year, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up got 49 of the largest housebuilder to sign developer remediation contracts.
Developers have committed to fix unsafe building they developed or refurbished over the 30 years to 5 April.
“While funding is a major part of solving the crisis, it is also important that residents see swift progress once work has been deemed necessary.
“The government has been clear that there is no excuse for unsafe cladding to be left unmanaged. Building owners must meet their legal obligations to fix fire safety defects in their buildings and make homes safe quickly,” it said.
