In late 2020, those who had purchased a new build were told their flats were unsafe to live in. It was discovered that the external cladding used to construct these new builds was dangerous and posed a serious fire risk.
Since the issue was confirmed, homeowners have been left in limbo and unable to sell their home. Without an EWS1 safety certificate, the value of thousands of new build flats across the country fell to zero.
Homeowners have also faced a rise in service charge bills and have been threatened with replacements costs as high as £40,000 per flat. Cladding companies have refused to cover the cost themselves, and have called for the government to take action.
And they have. Last week the government announced that if cladding companies do not take responsibility, they will be banned from the country. The deadline for construction companies to submit a proposal is March, and comes at a price of £9 billion.
What are your thoughts?
Is the UK government right to ban companies who do not comply with safety procedures? And take shortcuts to make a profit?
Has the cladding crisis had any impact on your trade?
Comments welcome below.
