Government may miss cladding removal target date

60 per cent of buildings with hazardous cladding still undetected by government, National Audit Office (NAO) says

Getty Images Image of two workers wearing white helmets and high-vis vests removing the external cladding of Burnham Tower on Chalcots Estate in Camden in 2017 — 60 per cent of buildings with hazardous cladding still undetected by government, National Audit Office (NAO) says

The government could miss the completion deadline for its own cladding removal if progress is not made to speed up the process, Britain’s spending watchdog has said.

Inside a new reportThe National Audit Office (NAO) said up to 60 per cent of buildings with hazardous cladding were still undetected by the government and, at the current rate of progress, works would miss the estimated completion date of 2035.

The report is as follows: Conclusion of the Grenfell Inquiry in SeptemberThe report reveals that the risks were ignored and that those who made and sold the coating committed “systematic fraud” in the fire that killed 72 people in West London in 2017.

The government has been contacted for a response.

Grenfell Tower’s cladding was made of highly flammable polyethylene, which was added to the side walls of the 1970s building in 2016.

Gray billboards with green hearts on top and — Grenfell Tower’s cladding was made of highly flammable polyethylene, which was added to the side walls of the 1970s building in 2016.

The report assessed how quickly the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was completing work to replace hazardous cladding on skyscrapers in England and aimed to provide an update on this. A previous NAO report in 2020.

It found there had been a “significant increase in remediation activities” since then, and as of August 4,771 buildings taller than 11 meters were covered by the government’s remediation work plan.

However, the NAO said an estimated 7,200 more buildings with this type of cladding had not been identified in the UK, and some “may never be detected”.

Progress in replacing the cladding also appeared to be slow.

Despite MHCLG spending £2.3bn on works to identified buildings, the report noted that work had been completed on roughly only a third of them and half had yet to start.

The government’s proposed deadline for completing cladding works on these buildings is 2035, but it is not on track to meet that deadline and “there are significant challenges to overcome”, the report said.

‘Financial and emotional stress’

The NAO recommended that if progress was not made in identifying buildings with hazardous cladding by the end of 2024, the government should take further action.

These include mandatory registration for mid-rise buildings, as well as for high-rise buildings covered by the Tall Buildings Act. Building Safety Act 2022stricter enforcement activities and actions to help resolve disputes between residents and building owners.

“Many people still do not know when their buildings will be made safe, contributing to significant financial and emotional distress for residents,” the report said. The statement was included.

The watchdog also highlighted problems with capping taxpayer contributions to the works at £5.1bn.

MHCLG’s estimate for the cost of all the works stood at £16.6bn and the NAO said the government planned to recoup around £3.4bn from a new project. Building Security Taxthis was not expected to be introduced until fall 2025 at the earliest.

in London, More than £1bn paid to remove dangerous cladding from tower blocks in the last six years.

The Greater London Authority, which manages the programs on behalf of the government, said 58 per cent were either fully rehabilitated or work was ongoing.

Some buildings whose cladding has been removed, such as the one in London, are still awaiting renovation years later.

Getty Images Image showing an apartment building whose cladding was removed in 2018 but is awaiting replacement in July 2024. Brown boards and interior studs and clips for cladding can be seen next to the building's black windows — Some buildings whose cladding has been removed, such as the one in London, are still awaiting renovation years later.

The report’s findings come after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Budget that the government would invest more than £1bn in 2025-26 to repair buildings with hazardous cladding; This investment also includes new investments that will accelerate the improvement of social housing.

NAO chief executive Gareth Davies said: “There is a long way to go to make all affected buildings safe and there are risks that MHCLG must address if its approach is to be successful.

“To stick to its £5.1bn cap in the long term, MHCLG needs to ensure it can recoup funds through the successful implementation of the proposed Building Safety Levy.”

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, who previously met with survivors of the Grenfell fire, said: “The program is behind schedule and MHCLG needs to step up to get it back on track.” He added: “The Government must take steps to better protect taxpayers “.

“It urgently needs to ensure that fraud controls are working and that developers are contributing fairly to costs.”