The government is
banning combustible materials on new high-rise homes and giving support to
local authorities to carry out emergency work to remove and replace unsafe
aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding.
Regulations have now
been laid in Parliament which will give legal effect to the combustible
materials ban announced in the summer.
The ban means
combustible materials will not be permitted on the external walls of new
buildings over 18 metres containing flats, as well as new hospitals,
residential care premises, dormitories in boarding schools and student
accommodation over 18 metres.
Schools over 18
metres which are built as part of the government’s centrally delivered build
programmes will also not use combustible materials, in line with the terms of
the ban, in the external wall.
The Communities
Secretary is also taking action to speed up the replacement of unsafe ACM
cladding, like the type used on Grenfell Tower.
Local authorities
will get the government’s full backing, including financial support if
necessary, to enable them to carry out emergency work on affected private
residential buildings with unsafe ACM cladding. They will recover the costs
from building owners. This will allow buildings to be made permanently safe
without delay.
The government is
already fully funding the replacement of unsafe ACM cladding on social sector
buildings above 18 metres.
Secretary of State
for Communities, James Brokenshire said: "Everyone has a right to feel
safe in their homes and I have repeatedly made clear that building owners and
developers must replace dangerous ACM cladding. And the costs must not be
passed on to leaseholders.
"My message is
clear – private building owners must pay for this work now or they should
expect to pay more later."
