The Building Safety Fund has opened for new applications on for eligible buildings without a funding solution in place.
The government announced the Fund in March 2020 to finance the remediation of cladding on high-rise residential buildings (buildings over 18m) as part of the wider Building Safety Programme, which aims to ensure that residents of high-rise buildings are safe in their homes. – now and in the future.
It meets the cost of addressing life-safety fire risks associated with cladding in high-rise residential buildings, where the building owner or developer cannot afford do so.
The government have adapted the Fund to ensure high-rise buildings continue to be made safe while focusing on making sure its approach is risk-driven, proportionate and delivered more quickly.
All new applications now involve applicants providing an assessment of the risks posed by fire spread over external walls to identify what, if any work, is needed. This is called a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) and uses the new PAS 9980:2022 code of practice with professionals using their expert judgement to assess risks and appropriate mitigations.
The Fund is now open for new applications from entities of private or social sector buildings that meet the following criteria:
- Buildings that are 18m or above (with 30cm tolerance).
- Buildings have at least one qualifying residential leaseholder (with the exception of social-sector landlords applying due to financial viability concerns).
- The building must have cladding, as defined in the PAS 9980:2022 code of practice.
- Buildings that have a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall construction (FRAEW) following the PAS 9980:2022 methodology which recommends actions to address fire risks to life safety presented by the external wall system.
An application can be made by the organisation that has the legal obligation or right to carry out remediation work on their building. In the guidance, these applicants are referred to as ‘responsible entities’. They may be the building freeholder, head leaseholder, a management company, Right To Manage company or social housing provider.
The government asks that all new applicants should provide a FRAEW following the PAS 9980:2022 methodology unless they have:
- Committed to or started works to remove and replace cladding on or after 11 March 2020 but before 28 July 2022.
- Not completed works to remove and replace cladding by 28 July 2022 and the application is for these works.
>>Read more about the building safety act here.
