What is this cladding scandal about and how does the government intend to fix it?

The Grenfell Tower inquiry concluded that the 72 deaths in 2017 were the result of “decades of failure” in both the public and private sectors.

On June 14, 2017, the 24-storey apartment block in Kensington caught fire. The tragedy left 72 people dead and dozens injured.

A six-year investigation into the disaster culminated in a final report released on Wednesday that revealed blatant failures by the government and the construction companies involved in the building's construction.

The 1,700-page report focused on the building's dangerous and flammable exterior cladding, which led to the fire spreading rapidly through the floors.

At PMQs on Wednesday, he also reiterated his determination to respond to all the investigation's recommendations and ensure full accountability of all those involved.

“We will use the full power of the Government to do this because it is our official responsibility and our duty to the memory of each and every one of the 72,” he said in PMQs.

The safety of high-rise buildings has been under particular scrutiny since dozens of people died in the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower seven years ago.

Despite promises to tackle the burden of renovation work on buildings with facade cladding, progress is slow.

In July 2024, government data showed that 4,630 residential buildings 11 metres or more tall had unsafe facade cladding.

About 1,300 people live in the capital, where residents are frustrated by the slow progress in securing their homes. Some residents said they felt “abandoned” by the government.

The following is known about the plans so far:

Grenfell Tower

Steve Parsons / PA

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which killed 72 people, the use of combustible materials in the construction of high-rise buildings came into the spotlight.

Many buildings in the UK still have flammable cladding, putting residents at risk in the event of a fire.

Many renters have since faced potentially ruinous bills after discovering that the cladding on their homes could be dangerous.

Some have reportedly had to incur costs of over £100,000 to replace the unsafe materials or pay for so-called “watch patrols”, where someone is assigned to patrol a building and look for fires.

What measures have been taken so far?

In 2021, the Government announced a multi-billion pound package of measures to ensure that no high-rise tenant in England is charged for the removal of cladding.

The measures were designed to protect owners of homes in taller buildings, with tenants of apartment blocks over 18 metres tall receiving grants to replace unsafe cladding.

For blocks between 11 and 18 metres (36 and 59 feet), the government said in February 2021 it would introduce a “long-term, low-interest” loan scheme under which “no leaseholder will ever pay more than £50 a month to remove unsafe cladding”.

The following year, Michael Gove, who was Secretary of State for Equality, Housing and Communities from 2022 to 2024, put pressure on developers to cover the costs of cladding changes, saying the Building Safety Act would protect leaseholders from having to bear the cost of remediation.

However, in July 2024, government figures showed that only half of the 4,630 residential buildings in England found to have unsafe cladding had started or completed remediation.

What happens next?

In August 2024, a non-fatal fire broke out in a building in Dagenham where the facade cladding was being removed. This sparked renewed calls to speed up the renovation work in the affected buildings.

Grenfell United, an organisation representing grieving families, said in a statement that the latest fire highlights “the painfully slow progress of remediation efforts across the country and the lack of urgency regarding building safety overall”.

The latest report on Grenfell Tower highlights the urgency of the issue and shows how much work still needs to be done to protect residents of dangerous buildings.

In response to the report, Rayner vowed to “work tirelessly” to “create a stronger safety culture.”

The next update on the government's recovery efforts is scheduled to be released on September 19, 2024.

What is this cladding scandal about and how does the government intend to fix it?

You may also like...

Recent Posts

What is this cladding scandal about and how does the government intend to fix it?

You may also like...

Trial – A-Cup in Gölsental in record heat and with over a hundred starters

Man shot dead in Kolkata New Town, one arrested | News from Kolkata

Former Premier League professional Sol Bamba dies at just 39 years old

Recent Posts