17 June 2022

Could building safety legislation derail house building targets? Ella Jones writes for Property Week

Planning Associate, Ella Jones, has written for Property Week, on one of the key questions following the investigations carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire - who pays to remedy defective cladding.

Originally, leaseholders were to be liable, until (housing secretary) Gove’s amendment to the Building Safety Act earlier this year, stipulated that developers would need to contribute to a £4bn national fund to pay for remediation - those failing to contribute, could face planning permission and building control sign-off blocked by the government (effectively preventing developers from building and selling new homes).

Jones said: “The government would be wise to avoid this as it will definitely slow down new homes delivery and conflict with the agenda to deliver 300,000 homes a year. While building safety is a very serious issue that needs to be remedied, there are many unanswered questions that will need addressing if the measures are to work effectively without causing a drop in housing supply.”

How enforcement action will come into play and whose responsibility it will be, is yet to be detailed.

The article was first published in Property Week on 16 June 2022 and is available to read in full here, behind the paywall.

Read further insights from our team on the Building Safety Act here.

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