Scanlans partner gives cautious welcome to new £1bn cladding removal fund

Commenting on the Chancellor’s Budget announcement of a new £1bn cladding removal fund, Scanlans partner Ian Magenis said: “We are pleased that the Chancellor has pledged to act on the widespread concerns about unsafe cladding on apartment blocks around the country by allocating a further £1bn to carry out remediation work in the form of a new Building Safety Fund.

 

“The news will come as a welcome relief to thousands of leaseholders who will no longer have to find money they don’t have to fund the repairs themselves. That would have caused considerable hardship for many.

 

“However, as the fund will only apply to buildings over 18 metres in height, the government could have gone even further. In those blocks which do not qualify for funding on this basis, leaseholders still face having to foot the bill themselves for remediation work.”

 

Last month, property management firm Scanlans joined forces with cladding campaigners, residents and property owners to form a coalition urging the government to allocate new funds to remove flammable cladding from buildings. Ian added: “We will continue to campaign for buildings below 18 metres to qualify for government funding so their residents are not penalised.”