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Ministers expect the cladding remediation deadline for the social housing sector to be met, despite nearly 100 blocks still not having work completed with only three months to go.
In response to a Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee report, the government said this week: “In the social sector, the government expects that, other than in a small handful of exceptional cases, remediation will be completed by the end of 2019.”
That deadline was set by former housing secretary James Brokenshire shortly before he left the post in July. The private sector is expected to complete the work by June 2020.
At the last count on 30 September, dangerous aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding had been completely removed and replaced on 61 of the 158 affected social housing high rises – an increase of just one on the previous month.
Another 81 blocks have started but not completed remediation, while work has not yet begun on the remaining 16 buildings.
The government’s preferred measure of progress is to point out that 90% of the sector’s ACM buildings have now started or completed remediation.
But it confirmed to Inside Housing that it considers the social sector remediation programme to involve “the removal and replacement of unsafe ACM cladding from all buildings in that category”.
It added that “exceptional cases” could include complex buildings, such as those which are unusually shaped.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “The government is providing £400m to fully fund remediation work in the social sector.
“Residents’ safety is our utmost priority and we are working to ensure remediation work is completed promptly.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan has previously branded the government’s cladding deadline “unrealistic and irresponsible”.
Of the 181 private sector high rises with Grenfell-style ACM cladding, only 13 have completed remediation, with no increase on this figure since May.
Ministers have provided £200m of funding to aid this work.