London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Mar 31, 2026

Housebuilders pledge £1.3bn for fire safety work on mid-rise blocks

Housebuilders pledge £1.3bn for fire safety work on mid-rise blocks

Funds for remediation including removal of flammable cladding still short of £4bn government estimate
Major UK housebuilders have so far promised to spend about £1.3bn to remove cladding and other fire hazards from mid-rise housing blocks, but are still short of the estimated £4bn needed to avoid another Grenfell Tower-style disaster.

On Wednesday Barratt Developments and Redrow were the latest to reveal how much they would put aside to address life-threatening fire safety issues in the housing developments constructed by the firms over the past 30 years. Barratt said the decision would cost it up to £400m, while the figure for Redrow is £200m.

The sums add to the cash already put aside by rivals including Bellway, which has so far pledged £186.5m, and Taylor Wimpey, which has promised to spend about £245m, amid growing government pressure.

Barratt said its decision to sign an industry pledge to address the issue reflected four years of talks with government, following the Grenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017 that killed 72 people and was blamed in part on developers’ use of combustible cladding. Housebuilders have stressed that they followed building rules set by the government at the time.

“Through constructive engagement between industry and government, a proportionate and sensible approach has been found and we look forward to completing the remediation process as quickly as possible,” Barratt said.

Persimmon confirmed earlier this week it expected to spend about £75m to address the issue, while Crest Nicholson said remediation would cost the firm between £80m and £120m. Berkeley Group said it was committed to dealing with the issue, but did not disclose its own estimates.

The collective provisions from the UK’s largest housing builders are still short of the £4bn the government has estimated is needed to remedy the fire risks across mid-rise buildings – between 11 and 18 metres high – in England, Scotland and Wales.

The commitments to date come amid pressure from the housing secretary, Michael Gove, who has pushed 53 UK developers to sign a pledge to cover the costs of remediation, and protect leaseholders from footing the bill.

However, some private developers are understood to be withholding commitments, amid fears the financial burden would push them into failure.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) lobby group has said the government has not explained how it arrived at the £4bn estimate. This does include the costs of repairing housing blocks put up by foreign companies and firms that have gone bust, but it is not clear who will be required to cover these costs, or who will be responsible for fixing developments more than 30 years old.

The cost of removing hazards like cladding from buildings higher than 18 metres is set to be funded in part by a 4% levy on housebuilder profits derived from UK housing developments.

The HBF said the money pledged so far demonstrated “the commitment of UK housebuilders to step up and meet the ‘polluter pays’ demand by government and to our long-stated principle that leaseholders should not foot the bill”.

It said other companies across industry, including contractors and manufacturers of insulation and cladding, should also be asked to cover the costs of any buildings not addressed by pledges to date.

“It is our strong assertion that other parties … are asked to make contributions before the government makes further demands on UK housebuilders to fix buildings with which we had absolutely no involvement. If ministers are genuinely interested in the ‘polluter pays’ principle then that seems fair,” the HBF said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Russia Expels British Diplomat as UK Pushes Back Against Pressure
White House App Faces Scrutiny After Claims of Continuous User Location Tracking
BBC Faces Scrutiny Over Allegations of Paid Content Linked to Saudi Arabia
UK-France Coastal Patrol Agreement Nears Breakdown Amid Migration Pressures
UK Police Detain Pro-Palestine Activist Again Weeks After Bail Release
FTSE 100 Advances as Energy and Mining Shares Gain Amid Middle East Tensions
Eli Lilly Seeks UK Pricing Deal to Unlock Renewed Pharmaceutical Investment
Three Arrested in UK After Massive Cocaine Haul Discovered Hidden in Banana Shipment
UK Fuel Prices Poised for Further Surge Amid Global Energy Pressures
Apple Subsidiary Penalized by UK Authorities for Breach of Moscow Sanctions
Western Allies Intensify Coordinated Sanctions Strategy Against Russia
UK Lawmakers Face Criticism Over Renewed Push for Social Media Restrictions
Starmer Signals UK Crackdown on Addictive Social Media Features
Rising Costs Push One in Five UK Hospitality Businesses to the Brink of Closure
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Car Strikes Pedestrians in UK, Injuring Seven
Escalating Conflict Involving Iran Tightens Fiscal Pressures and Highlights UK Economic Vulnerabilities
UK Moves to Confront Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operating in Its Waters
UK Housing Divide Deepens as Older Owners Hold Wealth While Under-30s Face Mounting Barriers
London Demonstration Calls on UK to Recognize Iranian Opposition’s Provisional Government
UK Green Party Vote on ‘Zionism is Racism’ Motion Collapses Amid Internal Disputes and Technical Failures
SNL UK Ignites Debate with Sharp Royal Satire Targeting Prince Andrew and Prince William
EU Proposes ‘Emergency Brake’ to Resolve Deadlock in UK Youth Mobility Talks
Thousands Rally in London to Oppose Rise of Far-Right Movements
Hong Kong Official Rejects Allegations of Surveillance Orders Targeting UK-Based Dissidents
PayPal Expands Cryptocurrency Services to Allow UK Users to Buy and Sell Bitcoin
UK Minister Challenges Reform Party’s ‘Pro-Family’ Agenda as Debate Intensifies
Concerns Grow Over Meningitis Risk Among UK Students Amid Warning Signs of New Outbreaks
Japanese Grand Prix 2026: Schedule, UK Start Times and Full Broadcast Details
Electric Vehicles Seen as Strategic Solution to UK Fuel Reserve Concerns
Rise of Lone-Actor Threats and Online Radicalisation Drives New Wave of Antisemitic Attacks in the UK
Canada Advances Plan to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations in Election Campaigns
UK Faces Looming Medicine Shortages as Iran Conflict Threatens Supply Chains
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in the U.K. Highlights Urgent Need for Vaccination
Fresh Claims Emerge Over Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit as Insider Speaks Out
NATO Assessment Indicates UK Defence Spending Has Fallen Below Alliance Average
FTSE 100 Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Investor Sentiment
UK Economy Begins to Feel Early Impact of Iran Conflict as Policy Challenges Intensify
Russian National Jailed in UK After Assault Case Linked to Barron Trump’s Alert
Energy Price Surge Accelerates Shift Away from Fossil Fuels in UK Homes
UK Museums House More Than 260,000 Human Remains, New Report Reveals
Surging UK Gilt Yields Reflect Inflation Pressures and Fiscal Uncertainty
UK Issues Updated Guidance on Children’s Screen Time with Focus on Balance and Wellbeing
UK Migration Figures Show Shifting Trends Across Asylum, Visas and Channel Crossings
UK Watchdog Launches Probe into Five Firms Over Alleged Fake Reviews and Ratings
Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production at UK Plant Amid Supplier Disruption
UK Police Reverse Position, Confirm Arrests Will Resume for Palestine Action Protests
UK Small Businesses Face Europe’s Steepest Cost Pressures, New Survey Reveals
US Envoy Urges UK to Proceed with King’s Visit Amid Diplomatic Sensitivities
FTSE 100 Drops Over One Percent as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK CO2 Plant Set to Reopen as Authorities Move to Safeguard Supplies Amid Middle East Tensions
×