Housing minister Robert Jenrick has announced new measures to improve building safety standards.
A new building safety regulator will be established within the Health and Safety Executive and the government will publish consolidated guidance for building owners. It will also consult on extending the ban on using Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) to buildings below 18 metres.
From next month, building owners who have not started to remove unsafe cladding from their buildings will be named publicly.
“Progress on improving building safety needs to move significantly faster to ensure people are safe in their homes and building owners are held to account,” said Jenrick. “That’s why today I’m announcing a major package of reforms.”
In response, the Local Government Association (LGA) urged the government to also come forward with the funding for the removal of high pressure laminate “and other dangerous systems”.
“ACM is not the only cladding system that poses a risk to residents,” said Lord Porter, a spokesperson for LGA.
Overall, however, LGA praised the proposed measures. Porter added: “It is good that the government is looking at lowering the height requirement at which combustible cladding is banned on new buildings and accepted our call to ensure that building safety reforms protect resident in all vulnerable buildings, such as hospitals, residential schools and care homes.
“The height of a building does not provide any indication about the risk to its safety, as has been proven by recent dangerous fires in buildings below 18 metres.”
This follows the prime minister and housing secretary meeting with survivors, residents and the bereaved of Grenfell Tower in Downing Street last week.
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