From Monday 8 April, Homes England will launch the ‘Building Remediation Hub’. The online Hub is open to all new applications for government funding to replace unsafe cladding on medium- and high-rise buildings (those over 11 metres).
The Hub will make it more straightforward for those responsible for the safety of buildings to apply for funding and will mean that we are collecting consistent data regardless of the height of the building. The Building Safety Fund application form on Citizen Space will no longer be live once the Hub goes live with any unsubmitted information lost.
Additionally, from 8 April, new applications to the Building Safety Fund (BSF), using the Hub, should have their FRAEW carried out by a Homes England panel to obtain a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEWs); and submit the appraisal in the required format. New applicants commissioning FRAEWs from 8 April should have their FRAEW carried out by a panel member. You will receive details of the panel once you have completed the initial stage of your application. The use of a panel member is, however, not mandatory.
Who can apply for government funding?
Individuals can apply if they are:
- a Responsible Entity (the person(s) legally responsible for the building), or
- an authorised representative of a Responsible Entity, or
- a registered provider of social housing, and
- eligible to apply for government funding, having taken all reasonable steps to recover the costs of addressing the life safety fire risks associated with the cladding from those responsible (through insurance claims, warranties, legal action etc).
To qualify, buildings must:
- be over 11 metres high, and
- have at least one qualifying residential leaseholder (with exception of social sector landlords applying due to financial viability concerns),
- have unsafe cladding on an external wall.
If applying via the financial viability route for social housing providers, there is no requirement for a residential leaseholder. Instead, the registered provider makes a declaration.
Building Safety Fund guidance for new applications 2022 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Cladding Safety Scheme (homesengland.org.uk) – (this link is where the new Building Remediation Hub will be launched on 8th April)
