Leaseholders protected from unfair cladding costs as government’s building safety reforms come into force

Today reforms within the Building Safety Act come into effect – protecting leaseholders from unfair bills as dangerous cladding is removed from buildings.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their own home, but in the past it was too easy for developers to get away with substandard construction while leaving leaseholders footing the bill.

That is why that from today those responsible for historical safety defects, and those who own buildings, will instead be required to fund essential repairs.

Some developers are already stepping up and doing the right thing, 45 of the UK’s biggest homebuilders have agreed to fix life-critical fire-safety defects on all buildings 11 metres+ that they have played a role in developing or refurbishing in the last 30 years.

Stronger measures in the act include new powers for the Secretary of State to restrict irresponsible developers’ ability to build new homes, an extension of the Building Safety levy worth an estimated £3 billion and improving building owners’ rights to launch legal action against developers.

Hundreds of thousands of innocent leaseholders now have the legal protection they rightly deserve, freeing them from a financial burden they should never have faced.

As MP for Norwich North, ensuring that Norwich families have the homes they need is one of my priorities. To find out more about what action I am taking both in Norwich and Westminster for this work, please visit: https://www.chloesmith.org.uk/myplan/homes.

Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, I wrote to the chief executive of Norwich City Council asking for details of any cladding used on buildings in the city. It is feared cladding was the reason the fire at Grenfell Tower in Islington took hold of the whole building.

Furthermore, I sought assurances that none of the buildings have any external cladding that might now be considered dangerous.

I also asked when the last fire safety checks were conducted; seeking to confirm that Norwich City Council to confirm that all of the buildings are fully compliant with fire and building regulations.

The City Council assured me that we have been reviewing our tower blocks and the safety regulations on a regular basis and that none of their blocks have external cladding.

For further information on this announcement, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leaseholders-protected-from-unfair-cladding-costs-as-governments-building-safety-reforms-come-into-force

If constituents need to contact me on this matter, or any other issue, please do email me at chloe@chloesmith.org.uk or ring my constituency office on 01603 414756