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Cladding Safety & Remediation Updates
Fire Safety Guide #24 | An update on UK cladding safety laws, funding schemes, and the urgent need for remediation to protect lives.
The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 exposed serious risks associated with unsafe cladding systems. Since then, cladding safety has become one of the most pressing fire protection issues in the UK, with new legislation, government funding schemes, and large-scale remediation projects reshaping the built environment.
For landlords, property managers, and residents, staying up to date with cladding safety requirements is essential. This guide outlines the current situation, the laws in place, and the steps being taken to make buildings safer.
For landlords, property managers, and residents, staying up to date with cladding safety requirements is essential. This guide outlines the current situation, the laws in place, and the steps being taken to make buildings safer.
Why Cladding Safety Matters
Cladding is commonly used on modern buildings for insulation, weather protection, and aesthetics. However, certain cladding systems — particularly those containing combustible materials such as aluminium composite material (ACM) — can accelerate the spread of fire.
Unsafe cladding not only increases the speed at which fire spreads up a building’s exterior, but it also produces toxic smoke that reduces escape time for occupants and undermines compartmentation by allowing fire to bypass fire-resistant walls and floors.
Key Legislation and Guidance
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that external walls and cladding systems must be included in fire risk assessments for multi-occupied residential buildings. Landlords and property managers are therefore legally required to ensure these systems are properly assessed and maintained.
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced stricter oversight for higher-risk buildings — those 18 metres or taller, or with seven or more storeys. It created the role of the Accountable Person, legally responsible for managing building safety risks, including cladding, and mandated a Golden Thread of information: accurate, digital records of a building’s design, construction, and safety measures, including details of cladding systems.
Government guidance also plays a vital role. Approved Document B of the Building Regulations sets out fire performance requirements for external walls. Since 2018, combustible materials have been banned in the external walls of new residential buildings over 18 metres.
Cladding is commonly used on modern buildings for insulation, weather protection, and aesthetics. However, certain cladding systems — particularly those containing combustible materials such as aluminium composite material (ACM) — can accelerate the spread of fire.
Unsafe cladding not only increases the speed at which fire spreads up a building’s exterior, but it also produces toxic smoke that reduces escape time for occupants and undermines compartmentation by allowing fire to bypass fire-resistant walls and floors.
Key Legislation and Guidance
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that external walls and cladding systems must be included in fire risk assessments for multi-occupied residential buildings. Landlords and property managers are therefore legally required to ensure these systems are properly assessed and maintained.
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced stricter oversight for higher-risk buildings — those 18 metres or taller, or with seven or more storeys. It created the role of the Accountable Person, legally responsible for managing building safety risks, including cladding, and mandated a Golden Thread of information: accurate, digital records of a building’s design, construction, and safety measures, including details of cladding systems.
Government guidance also plays a vital role. Approved Document B of the Building Regulations sets out fire performance requirements for external walls. Since 2018, combustible materials have been banned in the external walls of new residential buildings over 18 metres.
Cladding Remediation: Funding and Support
To address unsafe cladding, the UK Government has launched several funding schemes. The Building Safety Fund (BSF) covers the cost of replacing unsafe non-ACM cladding on high-rise residential buildings. The ACM Cladding Remediation Fund focuses specifically on the removal of ACM cladding, the same material used on Grenfell Tower.
In addition, the Developer Pledge and Levy require major developers to fund remediation of unsafe buildings they were involved in constructing. For landlords and building owners, applying for funding and carrying out remediation work is not just a regulatory expectation but also a critical step in ensuring resident safety.
The Role of Fire Risk Assessments
Under the Fire Safety Act 2021, fire risk assessments must now include cladding. This means that external wall systems must be inspected by a competent professional, with findings documented as part of the building’s fire risk assessment. Any risks identified must be addressed either through remedial works or through interim safety measures.
In some cases, an EWS1 form may still be required to confirm cladding safety, particularly for mortgage and insurance purposes.
Why Remediation Can’t Wait
Cladding remediation is not just a matter of compliance — it is about saving lives. Unsafe cladding poses an immediate risk to residents, visitors, and firefighters. Delays in addressing these issues increase liability for landlords and property managers while prolonging uncertainty and anxiety
for residents.
To address unsafe cladding, the UK Government has launched several funding schemes. The Building Safety Fund (BSF) covers the cost of replacing unsafe non-ACM cladding on high-rise residential buildings. The ACM Cladding Remediation Fund focuses specifically on the removal of ACM cladding, the same material used on Grenfell Tower.
In addition, the Developer Pledge and Levy require major developers to fund remediation of unsafe buildings they were involved in constructing. For landlords and building owners, applying for funding and carrying out remediation work is not just a regulatory expectation but also a critical step in ensuring resident safety.
The Role of Fire Risk Assessments
Under the Fire Safety Act 2021, fire risk assessments must now include cladding. This means that external wall systems must be inspected by a competent professional, with findings documented as part of the building’s fire risk assessment. Any risks identified must be addressed either through remedial works or through interim safety measures.
In some cases, an EWS1 form may still be required to confirm cladding safety, particularly for mortgage and insurance purposes.
Why Remediation Can’t Wait
Cladding remediation is not just a matter of compliance — it is about saving lives. Unsafe cladding poses an immediate risk to residents, visitors, and firefighters. Delays in addressing these issues increase liability for landlords and property managers while prolonging uncertainty and anxiety
for residents.
Conclusion
Cladding safety is one of the most urgent challenges facing UK building
owners and managers today. With new legislation, guidance, and funding in place, the expectation is clear: unsafe cladding must be identified, assessed, and remediated without delay. Taking decisive action is not only a legal responsibility but also a moral duty to protect the people who live and work
in these buildings.
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