UK developers told to foot bill for dangerous cladding, but flat owners give cautious welcome
- Britain has ordered housebuilders to pay around US$5.4 billion to help remove dangerous cladding from buildings
- Government, developers and owners were at loggerheads over how to make properties safe after deadly 2017 London fire
Owners of flats built with combustible cladding have welcomed a UK government move to make developers contribute more to the cost of its removal following the deadly 2017 Grenfell Tower fire but say much more is needed.
“I would say it’s a step in the right direction, but it’s certainly not a solution,” said Lucy Brown, 47, a financial headhunter who lives on the top two floors of a block of flats in London’s Docklands.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove on Monday said he wants the construction industry to stump up around £4 billion (US$5.4 billion) to cover the expense of removing the dangerous cladding from apartment buildings between 11 and 18 metres (36-59 feet) tall.
The move marked a U-turn on heavily criticised plans announced early last year which would have required flat owners with unsafe material on their properties to access a low-interest loan scheme to help pay for the removal costs.
Brown, whose residential block is around 18 metres high, says she still has no idea when the cladding around her flat will be removed, or how much she will be charged.