Grenfell Inquiry: Propertymark urges action on current cladding crisis

Propertymark has welcomed the publication of the final report of the Grenfell Inquiry, but the professional body has warned that lessons must be acted upon immediately to ensure the safety of residents and enable them to finally sell their homes.

The widely anticipated final report examining the deaths of 72 people during the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire was published today seven years after the incident.

The conclusive report of the inquiry into the 2017 tragedy examined how the apartment block reached a stage where the flames spread so rapidly, and it detailed its findings around the behaviour of the construction industry, the local council, London Fire Brigade, and the UK Government at the time.

According to the report, the Grenfell Tower fire was the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry. The UK Government at the time was ‘well aware’ of the deadly risks combustible cladding and insulation are capable of, but ‘failed to act on what it knew’. At the same time multiple providers of construction products made false claims about the safety of the cladding that would be installed within the Tower.

It also said a ‘toxic’ relationship between the tower’s residents and the Tenant Management Organisation was a crucial reason why the fire started, as well as ‘systemic dishonesty’ from cladding and insulation companies.

Grenfell Inquiry Chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick said that UK Government officials were ‘complacent’ on fire safety, there was an ‘inappropriate relationship’ between approved inspectors and those they were inspecting, and Grenfell residents who mentioned safety issues prior to the fire were regarded as ‘militant troublemakers.’

Some of the recommendations include establishing a single regulator responsible for regulating construction products, that the definition of ‘higher risk’ buildings in the Building Safety Act should be revisited to not just be based on the height of a building, and that there should be a single UK Government department in charge of fire safety.

The Building Safety Act 2022 was enacted by the previous UK Government to ensure protections are in place for most leasehold owners of flats from the costs of dangerous cladding. However, issues remain over the pace in which cladding is remediated, with leaseholders still struggling to sell their flats while facing rising service charges.
In May 2024, Propertymark wrote to the then housing minister, Lee Rowley, to highlight an emerging trend that insurers continue to raise service charges due to a lack of confidence in existing cladding and, in some cases, cladding that has been replaced.

Considering the report’s findings, Propertymark is urging the UK Government to take immediate action to resolve the cladding crisis in a way that does not come at a cost to leaseholders.

Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, said:

“Propertymark welcomes the report’s findings and recommendations, and it is vital that the current UK Government takes the time to address the key concerns that are being raised. It is vital that new legislation is introduced to ensure people living in higher risk buildings are protected to ensure they are never left in a vulnerable position. The owners and developers must act quickly to ensure that all flammable cladding can be replaced to a standard that provides confidence to the industry, so that leaseholders are safe, insurance premiums can be reduced, and we can get people moving again.”

Propertymark members have access to resources, including a fact sheet helping them navigate the complexities of the regulations released under the Building Safety Act 2022. Members can login here to access: www.propertymark.co.uk/resource/fact-sheet-building-safety-act-2022