Morning Briefing: polyethylene cladding on 52 London tower blocks

In the news

A BBC investigation has found the aluminium composite material panels and polyethylene core combination on 24 council high rises, 23 housing association buildings and five privately owned blocks.

It suggests the true figure is likely to be higher, as several landlords refused to disclose information.

Elsewhere, The Guardian reports on accidentally leaked figures from Kensington and Chelsea Council, which show that fines on homes left empty in the borough amounted to just £85,000 last year.

That compares to an estimated £500m combined value of the properties, with the paper suggesting that house price increases are vastly outstripping the fines.

Meanwhile, The Independent reports that the government has launched an appeal against a High Court ruling that its benefits cap is unlawful.

A judge said the cap was causing “real misery to no good purpose” in June.

And The Guardian and CityMetric both carry opinion pieces about Haringey Council’s plan to transfer its social housing stock to a private developer joint venture, as campaigners take the authority to court later.