Government Update on Cladding Safety Scheme and High Rise Staircases

THE CLADDING SAFETY SCHEME (CSS) has opened funding to all those responsible for replacing unsafe cladding on buildings over 11 metres.

The CSS fund is for replacing cladding on residential buildings that have been identified as having fire risks associated with it and where no developer can be identified as responsible for its remediation. It will help to stop leaseholders being expected to pay the bills to fix dangerous cladding on high-rise buildings.

Those responsible for the external repair of residential buildings in England and high-rise buildings outside of London can now apply for a grant under the Cladding Safety Scheme.

The grant is for buildings that are:

• over 11 metres high, excluding buildings in London where the scheme is only for medium rise (11-18m) buildings
• residential, with at least one flat with a lease over 21 years where the leaseholder is responsible for external repair
• have unsafe cladding on an external wall

The remediation of buildings over 18m in height in the Greater London Area will continue to be funded by the Building Safety Fund.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published a useful FAQs section on external wall cladding on their website.

Responsible Actors

The CSS grant follows the launch of the Responsible Actors Scheme on 24 July 2023 which forces developers to fix the fire safety defects in 11m+ buildings they developed or refurbished in the past 30 years before 2022.

The government forced developers to sign up to the legally binding scheme and imposed planning and building control bans on them if they refused.

Second Staircases

The DLUHC also announced on 24 July that it is ordering second staircases must be installed in new high rise buildings above 18m.

The government says it will work with industry and regulators over the summer on transitional arrangements for projects which are already underway.

Simon Allford, RIBA President

RIBA President, Simon Allford, said: “This is a significant moment. Over six years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it is hugely positive and reassuring to see the Government listening to the united call of experts on fire safety, bringing greater coherence and certainty for industry.

“Mandating second staircases in new homes over 18 metres is a vital step towards a safer built environment for all.”

>> Read more about high-rise buildings in the news