Gove to tell MPs if any housebuilders have failed to sign cladding repair contract

Michael Gove is today set to tell MPs whether any developers have refused to sign the “self remediation contract” under which they are being forced to repair homes with fire safety risks going back 30 years.

The housing secretary last week said he hoped to set out in Parliament the “consequences” for any firms that hadn’t signed up to the contract ahead of a deadline to do so yesterday, and is now expected to make a statement today.

His statement will follow threats to effectively ban firms that don’t sign up from trading, with the government having last year enacted powers, soon to come into force, that can prevent developers from commencing developments for which they have planning permission, or from receiving building control approval for construction that is underway.

Housing Today understands Gove will make a statement in the Commons at around 2pm today, prior to which a list of those builders to have signed the self remediation contract will be published online by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Yesterday a raft of the biggest listed housebuilders all announced they had signed up to the “self remediation” contract, despite the costs entailed and resentment at the delays from officials in getting the documentation over to builders.

During the day a drip of announcements from all of the publicly listed builders based in England confirmed their signing of the “self remediation” contract, starting with Redrow as the market opened, with Berkeley the last to notify the City, as the stock exchange closed.

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Separately, Housing Today has received confirmation from privately-owned housebuilders Weston Homes and Hill Group that they have both signed the contract.

In total, 49 firms last year signed a the developer pledge promising to fix life critical fire safety defects on their buildings going back 30 years. This “self remediation” contract represents the fine print underpinning that commitment, thought to be worth over £2bn.

Last week Gove said on Twitter that: “Developers have pledged to fix buildings that they are responsible for, worth more than £2 billion. If they do not, I will ban them from the housing market.”

He added: “I hope to update the House next week on those developers that have signed the contract, and the consequences for those that haven’t.”

Labour shadow minister Matthew Pennycook added to the pressure on developers. He said on Twitter: “Today is the deadline for developers to sign the government’s remediation contract. Labour wants to see all 49 pledged developers sign and then move urgently to fix their unsafe buildings. We need to know promptly who has and what the consequences will be for those who refuse.”

Housebuilders have complained that they are not responsible for the majority of homes with fire safety defects, and that the government has failed to pursue foreign-owned developers, contractors and construction products firms also responsible for the first safety crisis.

A spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation said yesterday: “UK housebuilders have demonstrated their commitment to helping leaseholders by signing the contract and are additionally paying billions to pay to remediate buildings built by foreign companies and other parties.

“Whilst UK housebuilders get on with remediation work we hope government will now deliver on its promise to get contributions from other parties, including construction product companies and overseas-based developers.”