Government pledges £200m to replace Grenfell-style cladding

The fund has been set up in order to "eliminate excuses" and delay tactics being used by some landlords, according to the government, which had left some leaseholders fearing that their homes and families were at risk of facing fires reminiscent of the Grenfell tragedy, almost two years after the event.

The government has faced pressure to deal with the issue since 72 people died when a fire destroyed North Kensington's Grenfell Tower in June 2017, with the combustible aluminium composite material (ACM) having allowed the fire to rapidly spread up the outside of the building.

The latest figures show that 166 private buildings are yet to start work on removing and replacing ACM cladding, compared to 23 in the social sector after the government made £400m available to replace the dangerous material last year.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "It is of paramount importance that everybody is able to feel and be safe in their homes. That’s why we asked building owners in the private sector to take action and make sure appropriate safety measures were in place. And we’ve seen a number of private building owners doing the right thing and taking responsibility, but unfortunately too many are continuing to pass on the costs of removal and replacement to leaseholders."

However, Emma Dent Coad, Labour MP for Kensington, tweeted that the £200m fund was "measly" in comparison to the amount being given to "non-existent ferry co's" in no-deal Brexit plans and added that it was "shameful" that residents had to wait 23 months for action.

Indeed, a report from The Guardian stated that quotes for remediation have largely ranged from £4m to £5m but the £200m government fund averages out at about £1.2m per building.

The UK Cladding Action Group argued that the measures continued to exclude "many leaseholders and social housing tenants living in blocks with other forms of unsafe cladding" from receiving necessary help.

"Fire does not distinguish between the types of failed cladding out there. This inadequate response will be looked back on in shame when the next Grenfell tragedy occurs. The announcement effectively brands this as a cladding lottery. Life changing sums are still being demanded for interim fire measures. Some people win from today's announcement. But many still lose," said the campaign group.

Building owners will have 3 months to access the new £200m fund, with the government stating that it will "look carefully" at those who fail to remediate and consider what further action can be taken.