East Midlands partnership set to tackle unsafe cladding in the region

The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) is set to approve their plan to tackle unsafe cladding and improve building safety in the region at the upcoming Board meeting on 21^st July. The Government has committed £350,000 for EMCCA to work with partners to deliver a Local Remediation Acceleration Plan.

The funding and delivery of local plans forms part of the Government’s approach to tackle building safety issues through the national Remediation Acceleration Plan. Through this plan, the Government is empowering Mayors across England to lead coordinated efforts to fast-track the remediation of unsafe buildings in their areas.

In November 2024, Mayor Claire Ward invited local councils, fire services, housing providers, and partners to work together to develop a Local Remediation Acceleration Plan for the East Midlands. The aims of the plan are to:

• Assure the safety of buildings awaiting or undergoing remediation
• Find buildings that are not progressing remediation quickly
• Improve the coordination of activity between regulators
• Support effective data sharing between partners
• Identify barriers to delivery and work with partners to overcome them

Once the Local Remediation Acceleration Plan is approved, EMCCA and partners will recruit specialist staff, including fire safety inspectors and a fire safety advisor who will improve communication and engagement with residents.

No Grenfell-style ACM cladding is believed to still be on high-rise buildings in the region. However, a review of 11-18 metre buildings that require remediation is currently underway with the support of Homes England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government.

By 2029, all 18m+ buildings will have been remediated and 11m+ buildings will have a date for completion.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “For too long, blameless residents have lived in uncertainty due to the failures of others. Through our Local Remediation Acceleration Plan, we are putting a stop to these unforeseen safety concerns and costs for our residents.

“As Mayor, I am bringing together local partners to take a coordinated approach to protecting people in the East Midlands from unsafe cladding. I look forward to working with them to ensure all buildings are made safe from the risk of fire.”

While the Local Remediation Acceleration Plan focuses on the regulatory and technical barriers to improving building safety, it will also improve transparency and trust as EMCCA works closely with partners to ensure residents are informed and supported throughout the remediation process.

Following Board approval, EMCCA will recruit specialists to deliver Local Remediation Acceleration Plan and implementation will begin in autumn 2025.