A Bill which aims to support those affected by faulty cladding has today been welcomed. However, more clarity is needed on the proposed legislation which aims to address the cladding issues raised following the Grenfell tragedy.
Holyrood’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee has been examining the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill. In its stage 1 report on the Bill published today, the Committee has called for a clearer picture of how it will help secure remedial action for affected properties.
Measures within the Bill would give Scottish Ministers powers to assess and remediate buildings with unsafe cladding, including where consent of the owners cannot be provided.
The proposals also include the creation and maintenance of a Cladding Assurance Register to give residents confidence about the assessment and works undertaken once those buildings are remediated.
However, the Committee’s report has called for more detail on how the measures within it will be delivered and the report noting repeated evidence of the skills shortages in the sectors that are essential to deliver the Bill’s ambition.
The report also stresses the importance of improving communication for those people affected both from the Scottish Government and developers.
Committee Convener Ariane Burgess MSP said: “These proposals are a positive step in the right direction. But what has also been clear from the evidence is there is still more clarity needed to ensure that the remedial action needed will be completed. The progress of which has been concerningly slow.
“People have been deeply affected by these issues, and there must also be an improvement in the communication to those living in affected buildings. This includes clearer timescales for the work to take place and more detail of the remedial action being done.
“Our Committee also wants to thank the residents affected, many of whom took the time to tell us how these issues have affected every aspect of their lives.”
Hundreds of people are being moved out of their council homes in Aberdeen after the houses were found to contain potentially dangerous concrete panels.
Thousands of council homes in the city were checked for the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). It was found to be in about 500 homes in the Balnagask area of Torry, including 364 council properties.