Building Safety Act - End Our Cladding Scandal

Our meeting with the Building Societies Association

In January, we met with the Building Societies Association (BSA), to highlight the continuing difficulties that leaseholders affected by the building safety scandal are having with remortgaging and selling their homes.

Half of High-Rise Mortgage Valuations Still Require an EWS1 Despite Industry Pledge

In an attempt to revive the flatlining market for flats affected by cladding and other building safety defects, major mortgage lenders pledged in December 2022 that they would lend without an EWS1 form being required under certain conditions. However, the latest government data shows no improvement on this measure since reporting began three years ago.

Are shared owners in London being left behind?

On 19 December 2023, Secretary of State Michael Gove wrote to all registered providers (e.g. housing associations) to let them know about changes the Government has made to relax rules on subletting and funding available for buybacks of shared ownership properties. He also asked registered providers to publish their policies online.

Our report from Bellway’s 2023 AGM

On Friday 15th December 2023, two members of our team, both leaseholders in Bellway buildings, went to Bellway’s AGM in Newcastle. We would like to thank ShareAction for their support in arranging attendance.

End Our Cladding Scandal Awards 2023

As we start the new year, we’re taking a quick look back at 2023 with the End Our Cladding Scandal Awards.

Our report from Redrow’s 2023 AGM

As we near the end of 2023, six-and-a-half years after Grenfell, there are still an estimated 10,000 buildings with unremediated fire safety defects across the country. As these years have passed, there has been too little action, at the scale needed, to make our homes safe. If this were any other product with life-critical safety defects, customers would have received a replacement or full refund, perhaps even compensation. Yet when it comes to our homes, we have had to wait several years for the Government and construction industry to agree who should pay to make them safe.

End Our Cladding Scandal Manifesto

Everyone deserves a safe home in which to live, work, care for our families and make plans for our future. A safe home is the foundation for building a life in which we can all fulfil our potential.

Yet more than six years after the Grenfell tragedy, hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in unsafe and unsellable flats.

Berkeley Group’s 2023 AGM and our follow-up meeting

Thanks to the kind support of ShareAction, a leaseholder affected by the building safety crisis attended Berkeley Group’s AGM on 8^th September to question the Board on behalf of our campaign, and this was followed by a meeting on 13^th October, to discuss the issues raised in more depth.

Our meeting with Nationwide’s Head of Property Risk

Despite previous assurances from the big six mortgage lenders, far too many leaseholders of flats affected by cladding and other safety defects are still unable to sell or remortgage their homes.

As part of our campaign to ensure all stakeholders play their part in bringing a fair and speedy resolution to the building safety crisis, on 19th July we attended the AGM of the UK’s third largest mortgage provider, Nationwide Building Society, to question the Board. This was followed by a meeting on 1st September with their Head of Property Risk, Rob Stevens, alongside some of his colleagues.

First Remediation Order Granted Under the Building Safety Act

In August, a remediation order was granted by the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) under the Building Safety Act in the case of Waite & others v Kedai Limited. As the first case of its kind to reach a final hearing, it will be looked at closely by anyone considering potential litigation under the Building Safety Act.

Six years after Grenfell and one year after the Building Safety Act came into force, more than 90% of fire-risk flats are still awaiting remediation, therefore the likelihood of litigation being needed to break the deadlock remains high, unfortunately.