Propertymark has welcomed the Government’s ambitions to remove unsafe cladding from buildings, despite concerns about the 2029 deadline for action.
This follows Building Safety Minister, Alex Norris, warning that building owners who fail to remove dangerous cladding could face jail time.
Propertymark acknowledged the desire to make homes safer but expressed that the deadline may be too late.
The professional body pointed out issues with recent news labelling “landlords” as responsible for removing unsafe cladding, highlighting that the freeholder is ultimately responsible for remediation efforts.
Propertymark urged the Government to ensure clarity in communications about cladding to prevent misunderstandings among consumers and the wider industry.
It also called for the necessary infrastructure and skilled workforce to meet the 2029 deadline.
The Government noted there may be up to 7,000 buildings still containing dangerous materials.
Progress has been slow, with more buildings identified with unsafe cladding than remediated since May 2024.
The Government aims to remediate all buildings over 18 metres tall with unsafe cladding by the end of 2029 under its Remediation Acceleration Plan.
New measures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) include a review of 175,000 building records by March 2025 and funding for regulators.
The MHCLG also plans to expedite repairs and ensure residents receive support throughout the process.
Propertymark previously called on the MHCLG to speed up cladding removal for buildings over 11 metres high, following a report that found only 1,392 buildings had fully replaced flammable cladding by August 2024.
The Government predicts between 9,000 and 12,000 buildings in England still require work.
If the pace continues, less than 900 buildings would be remediated over the next five years.
Henry Griffith, policy and campaigns officer at Propertymark, said: “Propertymark has long emphasised shortcomings in the UK Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Fire.
“While the recent acknowledgement and plan to accelerate remediation is welcome, they have a considerable challenge ahead of them considering the pace of remediation thus far.
“Additionally, we have seen little action on existing costs for leaseholders, especially those who are exempt from leaseholder protections.
“We urge the Government to meet its Manifesto promise of protecting leaseholders from bearing the costs of remediation as no leaseholder should pay for their homes to be made safe.”
