Contributing to proceedings in the Siambr, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Climate Change and the Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has requested an urgent statement from the Welsh Government on dangerous cladding removal in Wales.
The intervention follows a recent announcement by the British Government who said it would by securing £4 billion from developers to fix dangerous cladding on lower-rise buildings in England. The Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, Right Hon. Michael Gove MP, wrote to firms, giving them until March to agree a plan to protect leaseholders trapped in “unsellable homes”, saying some companies had shown leadership and covered costs but others “had not shouldered their responsibilities.”
Celestia Action Group, the owners of Redrow properties in Cardiff Bay who are fighting to get the developer to correct their serious building defects, undertook a protest outside the Senedd over the weekend, and spoke out last week at the lack of action by the Welsh Government following the positive development in England.
Commenting after her request to the Trefnydd, Janet said:
“Over two weeks ago, the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP took decisive action to combat the cladding crisis by writing to the Residential Property Developer Industry and making clear that it is neither fair nor decent that innocent leaseholders should be landed with bills they cannot afford to fix problems they did not cause.
“This letter requested that developers agree to make financial contributions to a dedicated fund to cover the full outstanding cost to remediate unsafe cladding on 11 metre to 18 metre buildings; and fund and undertake all necessary remediation of buildings over 11 metres that they have played a role in developing.
“Here in Wales, however, the Welsh Government continues to prevaricate. Whilst the Minister may have announced a pot of money to buy these flats off struggling owners, residents rightly want clarity as to whether they will look to take the same bold action as Michael Gove. It is vital that this statement is forthcoming at the earliest possibility.”
ENDS
Photo: by Scott Webb on Unsplash
