The Launch of the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS)

The CSS Cladding is now open in full and accepting new funding applications. The scheme will pay for the remediation or mitigation of life safety fire risks associated with external cladding on buildings over 11 metres tall in England and up to 18 metres outside London where a responsible developer cannot be identified, traced or held responsible to make these repairs. It will also cover costs that landlords would otherwise be obliged to pass on to leaseholders under their lease terms.

It will be funded from the PS5.1 billion allocated by the government to fix the most dangerous buildings and through revenue from the Building Safety Levy on new development. It is available to all medium-rise buildings between 11 and 18 metres across England and high-rise buildings over 18 metres outside of London where fire safety professionals have recommended that works must take place.

Aimed at addressing the fire risks posed by cladding on residential blocks, CSS will ensure that reasonable costs of remediating the life safety risks caused by unsafe cladding in tens of thousands of buildings that were unable to access the existing building safety fund are covered either by government funding or by developers who built them. Previously, it was often the case that the cost of resolving cladding safety issues was passed on to individual leaseholders, leading to justifiable anxiety for those living in affected buildings and difficulties for them in selling their flats.

The launch of CSS will help to address this and will bring peace of mind for residents that they will receive support. The scheme will remain in operation alongside the Greater London Authority’s remediation programme for buildings over 18 metres tall. It is expected that the GLA’s scheme will continue to cover a large number of London-based buildings over 18 metres tall in 2023 and beyond.

To apply to the CSS, Responsible Entities need to submit an application through Homes England’s portal and meet the technical eligibility criteria. A Responsible Entity is the entity with legal responsibility for a building, such as a freeholder, head leaseholder, management company or right to manage company acting on behalf of the building owner.

The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday 5th April. It is important that applications are submitted on time to ensure a smooth and timely delivery of the scheme.

Please note that the information contained in this article is based on our understanding of current regulations and is subject to change. We recommend that you seek professional advice to ensure that your specific circumstances are taken into account before applying for funding.

Our expert team is on hand to answer any questions you have about the CSS. Contact us today to get started.

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