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NHBC still assessing cladding claims for ‘a number’ of developments
The National House Building Council (NHBC) is continuing to assess “a number” of outstanding insurance claims for cladding after it agreed to cover the cost of removal from a south London development.
The firm, which provides warranties for an estimated 80% of new build homes in England, yesterday announced it has agreed to pay for the removal of Grenfell-style cladding and insulation from the New Capital Quay development in Greenwich.
Responding to questions from Inside Housing today, it said that further claims were still outstanding under its warranty and insurance provisions which are “in various stages of investigation and determination”.
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It says that settling the claims involves “establishing whether the buildings complied with the building regulations in place at the time of construction”.
Insurers have previously refused to pay out for cladding removal, insisting official guidance permitted the use of combustible insulation panels.
The NHBC added that yesterday’s announcement did not set a precedent for future claims. A spokesperson said: “Each claim is considered on its individual merits and characteristics.”
Regarding New Capital Quay, the spokesperson said: “Following expert input and a review of the individual circumstances at this site, we have concluded that there was a failure to comply with building regulations at the time of construction.”
The estate, comprising 12 blocks, was built in 2013/14 and used aluminium composite cladding with a polyethylene core and Kingspan insulation for its cladding system.
The blocks comprise 980 homes, housing approximately 2,000 residents, with 340 affordable units managed by housing association Hyde Housing Group.
The development was built by Galliard Homes and is managed by Property Management Matters Ltd, a subsidiary of the house builder.
As well as being the warranty provider at New Capital Quay, the NHBC was the ‘approved inspector’ which provided the certificate, stipulating that the buildings complied with regulations.
Building regulations clearly prohibit combustible insulation unless the system has passed a large-scale test. It is, however, more ambiguous about the applicable standard for cladding panels – saying that external surfaces are only required to be Class 0 or ‘Euroclass B’, a lower standard which many aluminium cladding products were certified to.
