London council secures remediation order against freeholder over dangerous cladding

Tower Hamlets Council has secured a remediation order requiring the owners of a high-rise building to remove dangerous aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding.

The London borough said it thinks it is the first council to bring legal action of this kind against a freeholder of a private building.

The order requires the building owners to replace ACM cladding, install new cavity barriers and replace combustible insulation.

Failure to carry out this work within a set time frame could see the matter being enforced with permission of the County Court, which could include an unlimited fine or prison sentence.

The council said it applied to the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a remediation order under the Housing Act 2004 and Building Safety Act 2022.

The council then secured an agreement on 18 November. 

Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman said: “It is shocking that seven years after the devastating Grenfell Tower fire there are still high-rise buildings clad in ACM in this country.”

He added: “We are taking this approach with other private building owners who are failing to remove dangerous cladding from their buildings and we expect to secure more Orders in the near future.”

The council’s statement confirmed that officers are currently working on securing more remediation orders against freeholders of other high-rise buildings where progress has stalled.

Adam Carey