PAC report highlights UK cladding remediation delays

A new report by the Public Accounts Committee has identified ongoing delays and challenges in the UK’s response to the cladding crisis.

According to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the findings reflect key issues already raised in its recent remediation industry white paper.

NFCC Chair Mark Hardingham said the report confirmed that efforts to fix unsafe buildings continue to be obstructed by major barriers beyond funding alone:

Hardingham said: “Today’s report exposes both the extent of the cladding crisis and the considerable gaps that lie between the remediation action plan and its realisation.”

Fire services say capacity is limiting inspections

The NFCC has reiterated that fire and rescue services are under-resourced to meet the scale of inspection work needed for mid-rise residential buildings.

Hardingham said: “Fire and rescue services have been at the forefront of the response to remediate unsafe buildings, but as we continue to point out, lack the capacity and workforce needed to identify and inspect all mid-rise residential buildings.”

He also pointed to wider labour issues in construction as another contributing factor: “We are also seeing delays to remediation compounded further by skills shortages in the construction sector.”

Enforcement alone will not solve compliance issues

The NFCC cautioned that enforcement strategies cannot resolve the crisis without support for those required to act.

Hardingham said: “Whilst the Committee is justified in putting a spotlight on the important role of enforcement, this must be considered against the fact that many responsible building owners lack the means to comply due to complex ownership structures, or a shortage of skilled professionals to do the job.”

He added: “Put simply – we cannot enforce our way out of the cladding crisis.”

NFCC calls for national skills and remediation strategy

The NFCC is urging the UK Government to lead a centralised remediation effort backed by a national skills strategy.

Hardingham said: “NFCC is calling for a centrally coordinated Government led programme to address barriers to remediating unsafe residential buildings, with a cross-departmental Construction Skills Strategy needed to address chronic shortages in fire engineers, risk assessors, and other key professionals.”

He said a long-term approach is needed to ensure people are not left in unsafe housing indefinitely: “Today’s report underpins the importance of getting those essential foundations in place so that we are not leaving thousands of people living in unsafe buildings for many more years to come.”

Government urged to address skills shortages delaying cladding remediation: Summary

The National Fire Chiefs Council has responded to a new report by the Public Accounts Committee on cladding remediation in the UK.

NFCC Chair Mark Hardingham said the report confirms barriers already raised by the organisation in its white paper, including limited workforce capacity and skills shortages across the fire safety and construction sectors.

He said fire and rescue services do not have the resources to inspect all mid-rise residential buildings.

The NFCC said enforcement alone will not resolve compliance delays, as many responsible building owners are unable to act due to complex legal structures and labour shortfalls.

The NFCC is calling for a Government-led national remediation programme.

It is also proposing a cross-departmental Construction Skills Strategy to address shortages in fire engineers, risk assessors and other professionals.