"Considerable uncertainty" around number of buildings requiring cladding remediation, National Audit Office warns

The scale of the cladding crisis has "proved much bigger than the government initially understood", and up to 60% of buildings with dangerous cladding remain to be identified, a National Audit Office (NAO) report has suggested.

The NAO report, which considers the timeliness of cladding remediation since Grenfell, concluded that efforts to fix cladding issues for properties in the Government's portfolio has been "slow". 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government's (MHCLG) does not fix buildings directly but has introduced programmes to help fund, oversee and monitor cladding remediation by building owners and developers.

It also supports enforcement activity to compel owners and developers to remediate.

The report said that remediation works on most tower blocks over 18 metres with the most dangerous form of cladding are now complete or nearing completion.

However, the scale of the cladding crisis has "proved much bigger than the government initially understood", and its interventions have expanded as a result, the report said.

Of the 9,000 to 12,000 buildings over 11 metres that MHCLG estimates will need remediating, 4,771 buildings have been identified and included in its portfolio, leaving up to 60% of affected buildings still to be identified, the report said.

Of those identified, remediation work has yet to start on half and has completed on around a third.

Of all the buildings that may be in scope, work has completed on only 12–16% and the pace of remediation works is behind where MHCLG expected it to be.

The NAO said MHCLG should put the "onus" on developers to pay and that it should introduce a more proportionate approach to remediation in order to protect taxpayers’ money.

However, it warned that this approach has seen lengthy disputes between developers and freeholders over the scope of works required, which have caused delays.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO: “Seven years on from the Grenfell Tower fire, there has been progress, but considerable uncertainty remains regarding the number of buildings needing remediation, costs, timelines and recouping public spending. There is a long way to go before all affected buildings are made safe, and risks MHCLG must address if its approach is to succeed.

“Putting the onus on developers to pay and introducing a more proportionate approach to remediation should help to protect taxpayers’ money.

“To stick to its £5.1 billion cap in the long run, MHCLG needs to ensure that it can recoup funds through successful implementation of the proposed Building Safety Levy.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commujnities, Housing and Local Government said the pace of remediation “has been unacceptably slow”.

They added: “This government is taking action - meeting our commitment to invest £5.1 billion to remove dangerous cladding and making sure those responsible pay for the rest.

“This Government will protect leaseholders and empower regulators to take enforcement action against those building owners who fail to act. Since coming into office, we have ramped up work with local authorities and regulators to speed up remediation and we will set out a Remediation Acceleration Plan soon.”

Commenting in response to the report, Cllr Adam Hug, the Local Government Association's spokesperson on building safety, said: “Councils are determined to ensure that residents are safe and feel safe in their homes, but face significant barriers in accessing existing funding schemes.

“It’s positive that the Government has listened to councils and the LGA and intends to address this issue and we look forward to seeing the details, which need to include long term funding certainty if they are to be effective.”

Adam Carey