Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick has recently announced a new regulator, set up to monitor the safety of construction products. It will have the power to remove any products that present any significant safety risks. It will also be able to prosecute any companies which disobey the project safety rules.

The review comes after the Grenfell Inquiry revealed several dishonest practices by some manufacturers of construction products, even questioning the results of some safety tests.

This is a major step in ensuring homes are built with the safety of tenants in mind, specifically in the use of safe materials. Alongside the draft safety bill, these are necessary improvements to the regulations, ensuring the “national approach is fit for purpose”.

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If you have any questions regarding this news, please get in touch with a member of the team at enquiries@chicltd.co.uk

Extra £3.5bn for high-rise cladding removal

A recent publication reveals that the Government is providing an extra £3.5bn towards the removal of dangerous cladding from high-rise buildings taller than 18m. Leaseholders in buildings below this height will also be offered loans to help fix their buildings.

£1.6bn was already pledged towards removing dangerous cladding back in 2020. This extra funding will take the total figure to over £5bn, a great addition to help tackle this important issue making this “the biggest-ever investment in building safety by a UK government”.

For buildings under 18m, the Government will create a new low-interest loan scheme for leaseholders in buildings where dangerous cladding needs to be removed, meaning there will be more help with costs for cladding remediation.

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Launch of social housing decarbonisation research

Research to better understand social landlords decarbonisation plans and ambitions has been commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Understanding how the government can support social landlords in delivering energy improvement plans will greatly help in tackling the UK’s energy efficiency issues.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund was announced last year and received additional funding in the latest Spending Review. The research will help shape where money is best spent and make the transition into the full decarbonisation of UK housing stock more efficient. It also seeks to determine what technical assistance could be provided to social landlords.

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CHIC is glad to see a proactive approach to decarbonisation nationally, as this has been on our own agenda for many years. Our newbuild MMC solutions ensure that our homes have a low environmental impact.

CHIC is already working on some new framework and DPS options to establish specialist decarbonisation supply chains including consulting, contractors and suppliers. If you want to know more or have specific requests, please contact our Chief Operating Officer Luke Hurd at lhurd@chicltd.co.uk