The government is banning combustible materials on new high-rise
homes and giving powers to local authorities to carry out emergency
work on private residential high-rise blocks to remove unsafe
Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) cladding.
Regulations were laid in Parliament on 29 November 2018, which
give legal effect to a ban on use of combustible materials on new
high-rise buildings.
The ban means combustible materials will not be permitted on the
external walls of new residential buildings over 18 metres
containing flats, as well as new hospitals, residential care
premises, dormitories in boarding schools and student accommodation
over 18 metres.
There will be an expectation on councils that they will carry
out emergency remediation work on affected private residential
buildings with unsafe ACM cladding, but they will be expected to
recover the costs from building owners. This will allow buildings
to be made permanently safe without delay, but will also place
additional responsibilities on local authorities to tackle high
rise blocks in the private sector with unsafe ACM cladding, where
the private owners fail to take the necessary remedial action.
The government is already funding the replacement of unsafe ACM cladding on social
sector buildings above 18 metres.
Read the government's response to consultations on
banning the use of combustible materials and the related amendments
to the Building Regulations