Government-funded cladding remediation schemes are completing at more than double the rate of buildings covered by developer-funded projects, according to new research from The Property Institute (TPI).
In 2022, 53 housebuilders signed government‑led pledges accepting responsibility for fixing life‑critical defects in 2,604 buildings they developed, but four years later, many of those schemes remain stuck in assessment or scoping, with little sign of acceleration.
Across 511 buildings with identified cladding remediation needs, collated by TPI from its members, which includes buildings covered by both government-funded schemes and pledged developer, just 24% are in active delivery, with 13.5% complete and 11% currently on site. Around half (48%) of buildings remain stalled in early stages, up from 32% last year.
At the current rate of progress, TPI estimates it could take around 10 years for all developer-pledged buildings to have started remediation works on site.
Andrew Bulmer, chief executive officer at TPI, said: “This data is genuinely alarming. Thousands of people across the country are living in unsafe buildings, often unable to sell their homes, having faced nearly a decade of uncertainty since the Grenfell tragedy. The fact that the current remediation progress is so slow, with no end in sight, is a national scandal. The goal for the government and everyone involved in the housing sector should be to make these homes safe as soon as possible.
“The government’s Remediation Bill is an opportunity to give developers a legally binding backstop that reassures residents that every step legally possible is being taken to make their homes safe. Pledged developers need a hard deadline to ensure there are no more unnecessary delays.”
