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Gove responds to industry proposal on building safety

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has welcomed commitments from the housebuilding industry to fund the remediation of some fire safety issues but says the plan ‘falls short’ of the full self-remediation expected from the industry.

Chair of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), Stewart Baseley, put forward an offer from the housebuilding industry in a letter last month.

The HBF offered to pay to resolve fire safety issues on all buildings over 11 metres, to remediate buildings dating back to 2000 and to withdraw from the Building Safety Fund.

In exchange for these commitments, the HBF demanded that the government publicly commit to not making further calls on their members in respect to building safety.

Elizabeth Tower in London under blue and white skies

Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the HBF, said in his letter to the Housing Secretary: ‘We remain fully committed to the principle that leaseholders should not have to pay for necessary remediation costs arising from the design or construction of buildings they live in, and we want to work constructively with you to achieve this.’

Mr Gove responded to the HBF: ‘I welcome the commitment that developers will fund the remediation of fire safety defects in buildings they had a role in developing above 11 metres, without drawing on the Building Safety Fund, and will make refunds to in respect of buildings for which awards have already been made. Your current proposal however falls short of full and unconditional self-remediation that I and leaseholders will expect us to agree. I expect all developers to emulate the most responsible firms and commit to full self-remediation of unsafe buildings without added conditions or qualifications. I would therefore ask you to continue working with my officials to develop these proposals further.’

Mr Gove went on to warn: ‘If an agreement is not reached by the end of March, I have been clear that government will impose a solution in law and have taken powers to impose this solution through the Building Safety Bill.’

Photo by Aswin Mahesh

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