Responding to today’s government announcement of a £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund to pay for the installation of fire alarms in high-rise buildings with cladding, Lord Porter, Building Safety spokesman for the Local Government Association, said:
“This fund is good news to help address the ongoing costs to leaseholders of waking watches and reflects what the LGA has long-called for.
“We are also pleased that the Government has extended the deadline for applications to the Building Safety Fund to ensure more eligible buildings can remove unsafe cladding.
“However, it does not alter the fact that the funding announced to remediate buildings with dangerous cladding remains too small to cover the number of buildings affected and help more leaseholders who are utterly blameless for this issue.
“The Government needs to meet up-front remediation costs and then pursue those responsible in the courts.”