3 minutes reading time
(568 words)
Remediate or Regenerate: Can We Do Both?
Cladding Matters – Friday 8th August 2025
As new developments rise across the UK skyline, one question keeps coming back: are we leaving too many unsafe buildings behind?
Over £5 billion has now been allocated to cladding remediation schemes, yet many residents remain in limbo. High-rise blocks have seen some progress. According to government figures, 97% of high-rise buildings with the most dangerous cladding type – Aluminium Composite Material [ACM] – have either started or completed remediation. However, ACM is only one part of the wider cladding issue.
Many buildings over 18 metres are still affected by other hazardous materials, such as High-Pressure Laminate [HPL], timber, metal composite panels [MCM], and expanded polystyrene [EPS]. In some cases, the danger comes from missing or inadequate fire barriers rather than the cladding itself. When these other issues are factored in, the broader picture reveals that only around 57% of all high-risk high-rise buildings have begun remediation work and fewer than 40% have seen any action at all.
While official data shows that many high-rise buildings have ‘started’ remediation, that term can be misleading. In some cases, it may refer to isolated works on a small part of the building—such as a handful of balconies—without addressing the wider risks. Residents of buildings like Kings Tower know too well that a line on a spreadsheet doesn’t always mean a safer home.
At Kings Tower, none of the flats have been remediated, only a small number of balconies have seen any work. Such minimal intervention is still classified as 'work started,' which raises serious questions about how progress is being measured and reported. This gap between official statistics and lived reality fuels understandable scepticism among leaseholders and tenants alike.
This tension is not just financial. It’s operational too. Many of the same specialists needed for fire safety work from façade engineers to cavity barrier installers are being redirected to deliver new schemes. That makes it harder for remediation projects to secure skilled labour and meet deadlines.
The government’s goal remains clear: fix all high-risk buildings by the end of 2029. But delivery is inconsistent. In London, a Joint Remediation Partnership Board has been formed to accelerate action. Yet in areas like Greenwich, residents continue to live in buildings where internal risks remain unresolved, years after cladding was removed.
New legislation is on the way, including a legal ‘Duty to Remediate’ with the threat of unlimited fines and even prison time. It’s meant to push landlords and developers to act faster – and do the right thing. However, only 13% of eligible costs have been successfully recovered from contractors so far, suggesting accountability remains limited.
So, can we regenerate and remediate at the same time? It’s possible. And it’s necessary. Yet without a clear plan to coordinate resources, funding, and legal support – many buildings will fall between the cracks.
This week’s episode of Cladding Matters will ask what more can be done to join the dots. To make sure that safety isn’t sacrificed for delivery targets. And to ensure that every resident, regardless of postcode or building height, has the right to feel safe at home.
Gareth Wax hosts, joined by Stephen Day and Hamish McLay.
PS:
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For podcast/media info:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
As new developments rise across the UK skyline, one question keeps coming back: are we leaving too many unsafe buildings behind?
Over £5 billion has now been allocated to cladding remediation schemes, yet many residents remain in limbo. High-rise blocks have seen some progress. According to government figures, 97% of high-rise buildings with the most dangerous cladding type – Aluminium Composite Material [ACM] – have either started or completed remediation. However, ACM is only one part of the wider cladding issue.
Many buildings over 18 metres are still affected by other hazardous materials, such as High-Pressure Laminate [HPL], timber, metal composite panels [MCM], and expanded polystyrene [EPS]. In some cases, the danger comes from missing or inadequate fire barriers rather than the cladding itself. When these other issues are factored in, the broader picture reveals that only around 57% of all high-risk high-rise buildings have begun remediation work and fewer than 40% have seen any action at all.
While official data shows that many high-rise buildings have ‘started’ remediation, that term can be misleading. In some cases, it may refer to isolated works on a small part of the building—such as a handful of balconies—without addressing the wider risks. Residents of buildings like Kings Tower know too well that a line on a spreadsheet doesn’t always mean a safer home.
At Kings Tower, none of the flats have been remediated, only a small number of balconies have seen any work. Such minimal intervention is still classified as 'work started,' which raises serious questions about how progress is being measured and reported. This gap between official statistics and lived reality fuels understandable scepticism among leaseholders and tenants alike.
This tension is not just financial. It’s operational too. Many of the same specialists needed for fire safety work from façade engineers to cavity barrier installers are being redirected to deliver new schemes. That makes it harder for remediation projects to secure skilled labour and meet deadlines.
The government’s goal remains clear: fix all high-risk buildings by the end of 2029. But delivery is inconsistent. In London, a Joint Remediation Partnership Board has been formed to accelerate action. Yet in areas like Greenwich, residents continue to live in buildings where internal risks remain unresolved, years after cladding was removed.
New legislation is on the way, including a legal ‘Duty to Remediate’ with the threat of unlimited fines and even prison time. It’s meant to push landlords and developers to act faster – and do the right thing. However, only 13% of eligible costs have been successfully recovered from contractors so far, suggesting accountability remains limited.
So, can we regenerate and remediate at the same time? It’s possible. And it’s necessary. Yet without a clear plan to coordinate resources, funding, and legal support – many buildings will fall between the cracks.
This week’s episode of Cladding Matters will ask what more can be done to join the dots. To make sure that safety isn’t sacrificed for delivery targets. And to ensure that every resident, regardless of postcode or building height, has the right to feel safe at home.
Gareth Wax hosts, joined by Stephen Day and Hamish McLay.
PS:
For content enquiries:
For podcast/media info:
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