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Almost 80 blocks approved for government funding yet to start ACM remediation work
A total of 79 private and social blocks which have been approved for government funding to remove and replace aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding are yet to begin remediation work.
Latest data from the government shows that of the 181 social housing high rises that have been approved for funding through its Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund, nine (5%) are yet to start work, while 80 (44%) have completed work.
Meanwhile, of the 96 private blocks which have been approved for the government’s Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund, 70 (72%) have not begun remediation work, while just five (5%) have completed work.
The Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund was first announced by the government more than two years ago in May 2018, while the equivalent private sector fund was announced one year later in May 2019.
Landlords do not receive funding for remediation work until the work is complete.
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Remediation work has progressed faster among private sector buildings that have not been included in the fund. Of the 113 private blocks that have not received funding, 18 (16%) are yet to begin work and 27 (24%) have already completed.
Earlier this month, London mayor Sadiq Khan wrote to 51 private and social landlords in the capital who had been approved for government funding but were yet to begin work.
He said: “Given the high risk that unsafe ACM presents to residents and visitors, it is unacceptable that remediating buildings is taking so long.”
During the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, ACM cladding was found to be the “primary cause” of the ferocious spread of fire across the building.
The latest data also shows that 249 private and social buildings with ACM cladding across the UK are yet to have cladding fully replaced, compared with 115 where work has completed.
A £1bn fund to pay for the remediation of dangerous non-ACM cladding opened for registrations on 1 June.
Housing minister Christopher Pincher previously revealed that by mid-July, the government had already received more than 1,000 applications for the fund.
Update: at 11.22am, 21.09.20
The original version of this story said that the blocks that had been approved for funding and were yet to begin work had already received that funding. It has been amended to make it clear that buildings do not receive funding until remediation works are complete.
