Government statistics show that all high-rise buildings in the social sector and student buildings are now fully remediated or have work underway to remove unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding, similar to that found on the Grenfell Tower in London.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government said around 95% of the highest risk buildings with unsafe cladding have been made safe, or have work underway compared to a year ago, with 159 buildings starting work last year compared to 90 in 2019.
This figure represented more buildings on-site with remediation work in 2020, than at any point previously.
The government launched a large-scale programme to identify all high-rise buildings in England with unsafe cladding after the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, to ensure those homes were prioritised for remediation work to make them safe.
Separately, the government’s £1 billion Building Safety Fund is enabling faster remediation of high-rise buildings with other unsafe cladding, and as of 15 January 2021, had allocated just £95.9 million to projects.
Thirty-one buildings were completed between November and December 2020, the highest monthly increase last year. Whereas of the 45 buildings yet to start, 13 were identified last year with seven vacant and not representing a risk to resident safety.
Commenting on the figures, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, said: “The stats show that – despite the pandemic – significant progress has continued to be made with remediation work either complete or on-site on around 95% of buildings, rising to 100% in all social or student high rise buildings.
“This is a big step forward. While there is still more to do, we are helping to make the highest risk buildings with dangerous cladding safer, more quickly.”
Meanwhile, Ministers continue to press building owners to take urgent action to make homes safer.
Building Safety Minister Lord Greenhalgh added: “Building owners are responsible for making sure that their buildings, and the people who live in them, are safe. However, some need to do more and it’s unacceptable a minority are yet to start work.
“We are in contact with the remaining buildings where remediation has not started, and we are clear if work does not take place urgently, then we will take further enforcement action.”
