The organisation maintains a risk-prioritised programme to remediate buildings with flammable cladding or other significant fire safety defects.  All affected properties are included, and remediation works are expedited with challenging targets and scheduled to make buildings safe as quickly as possible.  Prudent planning incorporates assumptions around regulatory approvals, factoring in any delays or reductions in inspector capacity due to new competence requirements.  The organisation has complete and accurate data on fire safety remediation requirements, helping to ensure that the required works are completed within the deadlines set by the government. 

Funding for remediation is sourced from a combination of: government grants (such as the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme), insurance claims, claims against responsible third parties (developers, contractors, consultants, freeholders), and, when appropriate, Remediation Contribution Orders under Section 124 of the Building Safety Act.  Litigation is only undertaken with board approval and within board-set limits, acknowledging that negotiations and legal processes may delay certain works; properties with clear liability are prioritised to ensure the fastest possible completion of essential works.

The organisation is formulating and agreeing remediation plans for any outstanding buildings on an urgent basis.   Any blockages are identified and reported to the Board, together with an action plan for removing them.  Remediation plans and progress with the programme are discussed with the residents of the affected blocks, with periodic review by the resident scrutiny panel to keep the resident perspective at the forefront of the process.  Issues that may affect residents include interim fire safety measures, disruption while the works are taking place, and additional heating costs while insulation is not in place. 

Information regularly provided to the board to enable effective oversight of the position includes:

• A schedule of all buildings with material fire safety defects

• Progress against planned timescales and targets

• The programme’s resource allocation

• The current liability and funding position for each scheme

• Forecast remediation costs, net of any government or insurance funding

• Assurance that replacement cladding materials and installation provide full fire protection.

Effective measures are in place to ensure resilience and regulatory compliance:

• Policies and procedures are fully aligned to the government’s Code of Practice for the remediation of residential buildings.

• Programme planning considers all applicable government restrictions and the need for associations to self-fund a significant proportion of works for social rented housing, integrating government-published cost data to ensure value for money and robust financial forecasting.

The organisation remains in close communication with the third parties involved so that residents, MPs and local councillors can be kept informed about progress, periods when leaseholders are unable to sell are minimised, and there is no duplication of resources in getting the work completed.