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The three steps that should be taken to end our cladding scandal
Thousands of residents face being left in limbo for years unless the government commits to End Our Cladding Scandal. Inside Housing is launching a new campaign for ministers to step up before the imminent second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, writes Martin Hilditch
Immediately after the Grenfell Tower fire there was a consensus that urgent action was needed to prevent future tragedies.
The government’s broad response was that lessons would be learned, residents would be listened to and swift steps would be taken to protect people living in tower blocks.
While much learning has certainly emerged, when it comes to action there is still a worrying to-do list – almost two years after the tragedy.
In the aftermath of Grenfell, Inside Housing launched its Never Again campaign, with a raft of different asks of government and the sector that were designed to prevent future catastrophes. That campaign is ongoing.
But this week we are also launching a new campaign that will run through to the second anniversary of the fire. We’ve decided to give a specific focus to an area where far too little progress has been made over the past 22 months. Of 178 private residential blocks known to have Grenfell-style cladding, remediation work is complete on just 10.
Nearly two years after the fire, the future for residents in many of these blocks remains uncertain. The government’s stance that building owners or developers should pay up has met with limited success. If this strategy is maintained then progress is likely to continue at a snail’s pace. It’s basically playing the lottery with residents’ futures.
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The second anniversary of the fire gives everyone a chance to reflect on progress to date. The fact that so many residents’ lives are still in limbo should fill us all with a sense of shame. Surely, the answer can’t be to continue with the same approach? Make no mistake, if that is the answer, residents are going to be condemned to years and years of uncertainty. Some – through no fault of their own – will be financially ruined.
Research carried out by the UK Cladding Action Group (UKCAG) and published this week reveals the existing impact on people’s mental health. Respondents told UKCAG they were “struggling to get through each day”, “feel constantly stressed, anxious and depressed”, and that “my life is on hold until this is resolved”. It is difficult to see anything other than direct action from the government sorting out the mess.
Certainly nothing tried to date has worked effectively. That is why our new campaign has three simple aims.
First, we think government should provide a fund (and this should be grant, rather than loans) to cover the cost of cladding removal and remedial work on private blocks – it has already done so for social blocks.
Second, there should be a firm commitment around timetables for improvement work to be carried out – we think this should be two years (bear in mind that, given the time it will take to set things up, even this will take us through to the best part of five years after Grenfell).
Finally, we also think the residents should be reimbursed for the interim costs incurred to date, which is placing such a burden on the mental and financial health of some.
Many thanks to the backers who are joining with us to call for change today. The second anniversary of Grenfell falls on 14 June. The government should make a commitment to End Our Cladding Scandal by then.
End Our Cladding Scandal: campaign aims
- Government provides a fund to cover the cost of cladding removal and remedial works on private blocks
- A firm timescale is set out of no more than two years for the work to be carried out
- Residents are reimbursed for the interim fire safety costs incurred, and funding is to be provided for necessary internal fire safety measures identified by a competent fire risk assessor
- Martin Hilditch, editor, Inside Housing
- Manchester Cladiators
- UK Cladding Action Group
- Natasha Elcock, chair, Grenfell United
- Sadiq Khan, mayor of London
- Kate Henderson, chief executive, National Housing Federation
- Terrie Alafat, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing
- Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Lord Gary Porter, chair of the Local Government Association
- Polly Neate, chief executive, Shelter
- Jane Duncan, chair of the expert advisory group on fire safety, RIBA
- Andy Dark, assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union
- Christina McAnea, assistant general secretary, UNISON
- Sir Peter Bottomley, Conservative MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform
- Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour MP, and member of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform
- Mark Amesbury, shadow employment minister and Labour MP for Weaver Vale
- Emma Dent Coad, former Labour MP for North Kensington
- Lucy Powell, Labour MP for Manchester Central
- Rushanara Ali, Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow
- George Howarth, Labour MP for Knowsley
- Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton
- Rob Ellis, presenter, Capital FM
- John Biggs, mayor of Tower Hamlets
- Paul Dennett, mayor of Salford
- Suzanne Richards, councillor and executive member for housing and regeneration on behalf of all Manchester's Labour Councillors
- Sir Richard Leese, Labour councillor and leader Manchester City Council
- John Leech, Manchester Liberal Democrat leader on behalf of all Manchester’s Liberal Democrat councillors
- Darren Rodwell, executive member for housing at London Councils and leader of Barking and Dagenham Council
- George Clarke, TV Architect
- David Walker, bishop of Manchester
- Graham Tomlin, bishop of Kensington
- John Roberts, founder of AO.com
- Josh Beaumont, professional rugby player, Sale Sharks and resident of affected building
- Bill Beaumont, former England rugby captain
- Jeremy Dyson, co-founder of the League of Gentlemen
- Andy Moss, actor who has appeared on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and resident
- Ross Mullan, actor who has appeared in Game of Thrones
- Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, musician
- Nour-eddine Aboudihaj, spokesperson for Justice4Grenfell
- Mike Leonard, chief executive, Building Alliance
- Kate Kendrick, founder, National Leasehold Campaign
- Martin Boyd, chair, Leasehold Knowledge Partnership
- Paula Higgins, chief executive, HomeOwners Alliance
- Mark Henderson, chief executive, Home Group
- Ben Clay, founding member of the Tenants Union
- Hilda Palmer, acting chair of the Hazards Campaign
- Susan Bright, professor of law, University of Oxford
- Gill Kernick, consultant and former Grenfell Resident
- Phil Murphy, fire safety expert and tower block resident
This list will be updated. Please email peter.apps@insidehousing.co.uk if you want to support the campaign
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