CIH respond to the updated Remediated Acceleration Plan

Government have published a Remediation Acceleration Plan update, which includes the publication of a new joint plan with the social housing sector, over £1 billion in funding for social landlords, and proposals for a new Remediation Bill to legally enforce clear deadlines for the removal of unsafe cladding.

Commenting on the news Gavin Smart, CIH chief executive, said “We welcome the announcement of new funding, legislation and a joint plan to accelerate the removal of unsafe cladding. This is a vital step forward in delivering the safe, decent homes all residents deserve — and in strengthening trust and accountability across our housing system.” 

These measures represent a more collaborative and accountable approach to building safety. The announcement confirms that social landlords now have equal access to government funding, with immediate effect, removing previous financial and procedural barriers. This is a step CIH has advocated for, and we are pleased to see this implemented.

The new Remediation Bill will introduce clear duties on landlords to complete remediation of unsafe cladding by:

• End of 2029 for all buildings 18m and over
• End of 2031 for buildings 11–18m —with enforcement powers and penalties for non-compliance. This will bring much-needed clarity, consistency, and accountability.

We also welcome the extension of support to cover sub-11 metre buildings in exceptional cases, as well as long-term funding to help replace Waking Watch measures — a positive shift towards greater protection for leaseholders.

The joint plan itself outlines 22 actions for social landlords, built around three key objectives:

• Fix unsafe buildings
• Identify all buildings requiring remedial works
• Support residents before, during, and after works

Gavin Smart added to his response, saying “This is a strong signal that government and the housing sector are jointly prioritising building safety and acting on lessons learned since Grenfell. We support the focus on clear timelines, stronger enforcement powers, and resident engagement — and we will be working with our members and partners to help implement the plan in practice.” 

The clarity around fire risk appraisal of external walls (FRAEWs) using PAS 9980, and the commitments to national data reporting and transparency, are also welcome and long overdue.
We also recognise the progress made since the original plan’s publication in December 2024 — including expanded capacity at the Building Safety Regulator and stronger reporting requirements for developers.

Over 100 social landlords have already signed the joint plan. We will now be reviewing the detail of the 22 actions and publishing further guidance and practical resources to support our members.