Tower Hamlets has 282 buildings that need their cladding removed and replaced to reduce the risk of another disaster like the 2017 Grenfell fire that killed 72 people.
Highest number of buildings needing ACM remediation
The borough has the highest number of buildings requiring work by far, Manchester with 136 buildings and Newham with 130 buildings the local authorities with the next highest number of buildings needing the removal of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).
Initially the government’s requirement was for high-rise buildings over 18 metres in height to have their cladding checked for fire safety but at the start of 2020 this was requirement was changed to include External Wall Systems (EWS) on any building irrespective of size.
In March Chancellor Rishi Sunak allocated £1bn to the Building Safety Fund to pay for the fixing of buildings over 18 metres but it now seems likely that the bill may be £3bn – £3.5bn to include other buildings.
2,784 Building Safety Fund registrations
There have been a total of 2,784 registrations for the Building Safety Fund of which 1,857 are in London and 1,197 in the rest of England.
Building Safety Fund Local Authority Registrations
| Tower Hamlets | 282 |
| Manchester | 136 |
| Newham | 130 |
| Westminster | 127 |
| Southwark | 126 |
| Birmingham | 109 |
| Greenwich | 102 |
| Wandsworth | 86 |
| Lambeth | 85 |
| Camden | 73 |
| Leeds | 68 |
| Islington | 59 |
| Salford | 54 |
| Hackney | 53 |
| Haringey | 52 |
| Liverpool | 50 |
| Bristol, City of | 46 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 41 |
| Croydon | 39 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 39 |
Data: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Due to incomplete registration forms it has not been possible to match every building to its Local Authority area at this stage.
Cllr. Peter Golds CBE, Leader of the Conservative Group for Tower Hamlets council, has been at the forefront of the campaign to expand the Building Safety Fund so that leaseholders will know they will have a safe and secure home in the future.
Some estimates put the number of people who have been affected by the cladding scandal at up to 3,000,000 (yes, three million).
End the cladding scandal
The End Our Cladding Scandal group @EOCS_Official was formed with the aims of ensuring that the Government funds the costs of classing removal and remedial work on private blocks as well as social housing, ensuring that work is undertaken within two years and that residents are reimbursed the costs of fire safety measures needed until buildings are made safe.
In addition to the huge costs of fixing unsafe cladding many people have had their lives turned upside down by the problem (The new cladding scandal that could bankrupt a generation) particularly because they cannot sell their property as they cannot get insurance at a sensible price.
The National Fire Chiefs Council has met the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to discuss this. The UK Cladding Action Group is also meeting the ABI.
Related Internet Links
- Remediation of non-ACM buildings
- End Our Cladding Scandal @EOCS_Official
- The next fire won’t wait. Here are the 10 steps to End Our Cladding Scandal – Inside Housing
- The new cladding scandal that could bankrupt a generation – Spectator
- The time for half measures on the cladding scandal is long gone – Inside Housing
- Leaseholders billed up to £115,000 each to remove Grenfell-style cladding – Guardian
- Leasehold Knowledge Partnership – Cladding Scandal
- Cladding Scandal Latest: The ‘Firetrap’ Homes That Can’t Get Fire Insurance – LBC
- Why the government’s £200m cladding fund does not go far enough – Major of Tower Hamlets John Biggs, Inside Housing comment
- Nearly 2,800 buildings register for government’s £1bn Building Safety Fund – Inside Housing
- Private Tower Blocks: Removal of Cladding debate, House of Commons – Hansard
