Peter Johnson, chairman of Vivalda Group, the UK’s largest independent cladding supplier, provides immediate reaction to the Queen’s speech which contained plans to create higher safety standards in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
“With just four words – ‘new building safety standards’ – which were hidden away at the end of the eighth paragraph of this year’s Queen’s Speech, we finally have confirmation that the construction industry is getting a new, independent safety regulator. And that new regulator will be there to force developers and landlords to comply with rigorous new safety standards.
“Granted, it’s being hailed by many as the biggest reform of the sector in 40 years. While the details are yet to be confirmed, I understand that the new law will impose far stronger obligations on those responsible for the safety of high-rise buildings throughout design, construction and occupation.
“As always, the devil is in the detail. While the new safety regime is very welcomed, there still remain practical challenges within the post-Grenfell cladding sector – specifically where the private sector is concerned. Back in May 2019, the government set up a £200m fund to replace unsafe Grenfell Tower-style cladding on around 170 private high-rise residential buildings across the UK. However, looking forward, how will landlords of presently ‘safe’ buildings be expected to meet the cost of refurbishment, should the new legislation raise the current safety bar?
“We are concerned that there may be significant numbers of public and private high rise developments that are currently within safety limits, but may retrospectively be deemed unsafe if new tests reveal inadequacies in the existing safety regime.
“The UK’s dysfunctional building safety culture was painfully exposed by the Grenfell Tower tragedy. I applaud the new laws to create a much-needed regular, but we’re not out of the woods yet, when it comes to healing the wounds created back in July 2017.
“We need to maintain pressure on the government to create a solid legal framework for high rise building – and ensure landlords and developers have the financial support to make the make the required safety improvements.”
