Major housebuilders commit to cladding safety pledge 

Crest Nicholson announced its decision yesterday (5 April), followed by Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Berkeley. Redrow committed to signing today (6 April).

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities cautioned other builders that the government has “the powers to impose a solution in law if those in scope do not do the same”.

The trade body representing developers, the Home Builders Federation, has been in talks for months with Housing Secretary Michael Gove over an equitable solution to fixing flammable cladding.

Housebuilders have agreed to pay remediate cladding issues at tower blocks over 11 metres they built, The Times reports. A government announcement is expected later this week.

Developers have also compromised as they agreed to remedy cladding installed in the past 30 years, rather than the past 22 years, the publication says. They have agreed not to cover the costs with support from the Building Safety Fund.

The cladding tax was brought in this month (April) and is expected to raise £2bn over the next decade to pay for cladding repair works on tower blocks exceeding 18 metres in height. 

Over the past three years, Crest Nicholson has spent £47.8m remedying unsafe cladding on blocks of flats it built. It predicts it will need to commit at least £80m, and possibly £120m, for further works. 

Persimmon believes the £75m it set aside “remains appropriate”, and Taylor Wimpey said it would like spend another £80m. Redrow has set aside £36m to enhance fire safety in high rise buildings and estimates a further provision of £164m because of the commitment.

Berkeley has set aside £129m for “issues” believed to include fire safety.