England’s housing developers have been given an ultimatum: commit to repairing unsafe buildings or be banned from operating in the market. Developers now have six weeks to sign a government contract to fix their unsafe buildings from the past 30 years.
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… building companies who installed the unsafe cladding must pay…
BBC News writes:
Housing Secretary Michael Gove says companies will “face significant consequences” if they do not comply.
Many homeowners have been forced to spend thousands to remove cladding which has been deemed a fire risk.
The dangers were made public after the Grenfell fire tragedy in 2017, which killed 72 people. An inquiry found that cladding installed on the tower block in west London helped the fire spread because it was made from combustible material.
According to the government’s new plan, homeowners living in buildings whose construction poses a potential fire risk will be reimbursed, and building companies who installed the unsafe cladding must pay to replace it with a safer material.
“Too many developers, along with product manufacturers and freeholders, have profited from these unsafe buildings and have a moral duty to do the right thing and pay for their repair,” Mr Gove said, in a press release….
In a further move to reduce bills for flat owners, the government is banning managing agents and property freeholders from charging a commission to be paid by leaseholders, when insuring their properties….
