28 Cladding Remediation & Maintenance


The Government has introduced a fund aimed at supporting local authorities to address critical building safety issues: the Remediation Enforcement Support Fund


third-party professionals to assess the feasibility of a claim, such as determining if there is a strong case or who is responsible for remediation. T is funding is provided as a lump sum. Option two provides up to £100,000 for third-party expert services to actively pursue the legal case, such as hiring legal experts to fi le and argue the case, with payments reimbursed quarterly in arrears. T e local authorities themselves must cover any additional costs exceeding these funding limits. T e application window for the Remediation Enforcement Support Fund


opened in December 2024 and will close in February 2026, providing regulators with over a year to submit their applications. Both funding options are available for buildings in England that are over


11 metres (or fi ve storeys) high and contain at least two dwellings, with safety defects that pose a fi re risk. T e building must also be one that the local authority has independently chosen to pursue based on previous assessment/ enforcement work.


SUMMARY T e introduction of the Remediation Enforcement Support Fund marks a step forward in supporting local authorities to ensure that unsafe cladding is addressed. By providing fi nancial support and empowering local authorities with stronger legal tools, the initiative aims to overcome the challenge of a funding shortfall to commence proceedings. With the target of remediating all unsafe buildings by 2029, this approach reinforces a commitment to ensuring residents’ safety and holding landlords accountable for their responsibilities.


Lewis Couth is real estate team partner at Walker Morris Reducing carbon in steel construction W


ith increasing pressure from central government and local authorities to minimise the carbon


emissions and environmental impact of construction projects, voestalpine Metsec has introduced a reduced carbon steel option for its renowned light gauge steel construction solutions, including the pre-panellised loadbearing solution, Metframe, SFS, Purlins and its range of internal non-loadbearing stud, track and MF ceilings. Branded Metsec Decarb, the steel is produced


in new, state of the art electric arc furnaces and is a true move towards a reduced carbon future for the construction industry, containing less than half the amount of carbon dioxide per tonne for the same quality of steel. Andy Hackett, general manager of voestalpine


Metsec’s Dry Lining Division, states: “Together with our commitment to Net Zero Carbon operations by 2035, Metsec Decarb underlines our commitment to providing specifi ers, developers and clients with a very real opportunity to reduce a project’s carbon footprint and enhance its sustainability credentials. “Metsec Decarb is a bona fi de lower


embodied carbon steel. It does not rely on greenwashing, carbon off setting, allocation of green energy or mass balance approach to achieve this, providing real peace of mind for the designer.”


voestalpine Metsec construction systems


and products are backed by comprehensive verifi ed manufacturer statements and Environmental Product Declarations, which


can be included in the fi nal project’s carbon assessments.


metsec.SFS@voestalpine.com www.metsec.com Housing Management & Maintenance February/March 2025


Cladding Remediation & Maintenance Feature


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