Gove turns on suppliers as 35 developers sign safety pledge

Aaron Morby 3 years ago
Share

Levelling up minister Michael Gove has blasted cladding and insulation manufacturers over their failure to commit to paying for post-Grenfell safety measures on buildings.

Levelling-up minister Michael Gove says he will now use powers to penalise manufacturers
Levelling-up minister Michael Gove says he will now use powers to penalise manufacturers

He has now committed to use all his powers to impose “significant commercial and reputational consequences’ for those firms that have failed to step up.

Gove issued his warning in a strongly-worded letter to industry trade body, the Construction Products Association.

Talks with the trade body have collapsed after Gove slammed it for ‘coming up with excuses to do nothing slowly’.

His letter comes as the Department for Levelling-up revealed that 35 house builders had now signed the Government pledge to fund cladding and building fire safety upgrades as a matter of urgency. (see list below)

This means developers will spend around £2bn upgrading their own developments and pay an extra £3bn into Governemnt coffers through the new building safety levy on residential development.

Gove has now written to the CPA demanding to know why relevant manufacturers have failed to follow the house builders’ lead.

“In January, I asked property developers and construction product manufacturers to make a public funding commitment by early March, he writes.

“Unlike the approach taken by developers, manufacturers have failed to make any such commitment. This is simply not good enough.”

Recognising an earlier response from CPA chief executive Peter Capelhorn, he continues: “Your letter proposes several reasons why making such commitments would be challenging or require years of preparatory work.

“Leaseholders do not have the luxury of waiting years for every building to be assessed before funding is committed, and five years on from the Grenfell Tragedy, there is little in your letter to suggest that manufacturers are ready to show leadership and play their part in bringing this unacceptable situation to an end.”

“The scale of this injustice should have spurred manufacturers into doing more, at speed, and it is disappointing that the sector appears instead to be using it as an excuse to do nothing, slowly,” says Gove.

“It is unacceptable that there has been no clear acknowledgement that actions taken by cladding and insulation manufacturers have contributed to the problem, and that manufacturers have individually and collectively failed to come forward with a proposal for playing their part in addressing it.

“As such, I now consider our negotiations to have concluded. I have instructed my officials to do whatever it takes to make sure that construction product manufacturers are held to account through the powers that I am establishing in the Building Safety Bill.

“My new recovery unit will pursue firms that have failed to do the right thing, including through the courts.

“I will consider carefully how to use other powers at my disposal to make sure that there are significant commercial and reputational consequences for those firms that have not stepped up.”

Developers that have agreed to building safety pledge


  • Avant
  • Ballymore
  • Barratt
  • Bellway
  • Berkeley
  • Bewley
  • Bloor
  • Cala
  • Churchill Retirement
  • CG Fry
  • Countryside
  • Crest Nicholson*
  • Croudace
  • Davidsons
  • Fairview
  • Gleeson
  • Hill Group
  • Jelson
  • Keepmoat Homes
  • Tilia
  • Lioncourt Homes
  • London Square
  • Lovell
  • Mactaggart & Mickel
  • McCarthy & Stone
  • Miller Homes
  • Morris Homes
  • Persimmon
  • Redrow
  • Rowland Homes
  • Strata
  • St Modwen
  • Taylor Wimpey
  • Vistry Partnership
  • Wainhomes
  • William Davis

*Signalled intent

 

Latest news

High tech construction plant could save country £417bn

Costain report says kit which connects and drives itself will provide a massive economic boost
7 hours ago

Concrete frame defects cost Bellway another £14m

Cost of repairing Greenwich scheme rises while £5.4m was spent on aborted Crest Nicholson chase
13 hours ago

Green light for 52-storey Isle of Dogs resi tower

460 flats One East Point project will be built at 3-4 Harbour Exchange
13 hours ago

Contractors urged to “hire now” as labour supply crunch looms

Vacancies rise and wages grow as fight for new workers intensifies
13 hours ago

Kier confirmed for £20m Yasa Motors Bicester HQ

Developer Bicester Motion advances future mobility business park
1 day ago

Data centres and airport expansion to spur growth

Government hails £25bn data centre and £1.1bn Stansted Airport expansion plan
1 day ago

Hinkley Point second reactor unit build up to 30% faster

Engineering team lifts last giant steel ring onto reactor 2 yesterday
13 hours ago

BAM reassures supply chain after winding-up petition

Firm's credit rating temporarily affected after dispute with supplier
2 days ago

Winvic secures Leeds build to rent scheme

Phase one of £500m Sweet Street South Bank regeneration starts
2 days ago

£60m turnover construction group sold to staff

Meldrum Construction Services Group becomes Employee Owned Trust
2 days ago

Starmer vows to “rip out” obstacles to investment

Prime Minister to make pledge at inaugural International Investment Summit
2 days ago

VolkerFitzpatrick starts prep-work for £210m M3 junction upgrade

Main works to begin in early 2025 on Winchester junction job
2 days ago

London super sewer turned on after eight years of construction

£4.5bn project starts protecting River Thames from pollution
2 days ago

Housing and office new work jump fuels output recovery

August new construction work rebounds 1.6% after early summer fall
5 days ago

£300m London City fringe office tower approved

Rocket's 27-storey One Fairchild Street job set for take-off
5 days ago

Consultants named for London Tube Bakerloo Line extension

Aecom and architect WW+P to work up designs for four new stations
5 days ago

15 giant bridge beams lifted into place at HS2 station

Balfour Beatty VINCI carries-out civils work for Solihull station: Video
5 days ago

Ballymore JV picked for £500m King’s Cross scheme

Camley Street scheme to consist of 350 homes and offices
5 days ago

Digger stolen from Dorset site recovered in Poland

Machine found after four month police hunt
5 days ago

Construction firms face claw back of R&D tax credits

HMRC estimates only 38% of construction claims are "wholly compliant"
6 days ago

Willmott Dixon bounces back into profit in first half

CEO predicts ISG demise will shift client mindsets from lowest bid to best quality
6 days ago

M&E specialist Integral UK suffers fifth year of losses

Building services and FM specialist plunges to £32m loss
6 days ago

Glenbrook plans 44-storey Manchester resi tower

Scheme next to Deansgate station will contain 360 flats
6 days ago

Downing submits 430-bed London student scheme

Two-10 storey towers planned at Wandsworth Gasholder Site
6 days ago

Mace construction head steps down

Andrew Jackson leaves top role after three months
6 days ago

Pre-pack saves 60 jobs at fit-out firm WFC Contractors

Aviation fit-out group swoops on up-market hospitality fit-out specialist
6 days ago

Multiplex in talks for ISG’s £70m London offices to labs job

Plan to restart Regent Quarter life science campus with ISG project team
7 days ago

M&E firm goes under after more than 70 years in business

HBS Group Southern employed 75 staff
1 week ago

Trio of big names win £600m biscuit factory revamp

Developer Greystar confirms deals for McLaren, McAleer & Rushe and Sisk
1 week ago

HS2 London tunnels chief joins Transpennine Route Upgrade

James Richardson will take up MD role at TRU in New Year
7 days ago

Contractor services