Communities Secretary Said Javid called today for a Grenfell cladding round table with developers and ground rent speculators … and LKP will be invited to attend.
Mr Javid also repeated to the Commons his hope that freeholders and developers take more responsibility for the cladding, which is threatening financial ruin to thousands of families.
The lives of leaseholders in sites that are affected – such as the vast New Capital Quay site in Greenwich, east London – are on hold until liability is established over who will be pay the astronomic bills to remove the cladding.
Full debate here
In response to Alison Thewliss (SNP, Glasgow Central), Mr Javid said:
“The hon. Lady asks about the private sector, particularly about leaseholders who live in towers with ACM cladding.
“There are many such cases, and more have come to light in recent days, including in Scotland.
“The Scottish Government are free to take action if they want to help those leaseholders in any way, and we continue to work with many builders and freeholders.
“I believe that leaseholders have no responsibility for what has happened; where possible, I want builders and freeholders to take more responsibility. I plan to convene a roundtable with freeholders and builders to consider what more we can do, and to keep the situation under review.”
Sir Peter Bottomley (Conservative, Worthing West) than asked Mr Javid: “Will my right hon. Friend break with the habits of his predecessors and, when he holds his roundtable, not just invite freeholders and managing agents, but include the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership?
“It has probably done as much as, if not more than, the Leasehold Advisory Service, and it is capable of providing rather better advice than just saying, “Go to a legal pro bono unit.
“The Secretary of State has the opportunity to bring everyone together.” Mr Javid replied:
“I am happy to take my hon. Friend’s advice on board and to include the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.”
A public discussion on these cladding issues – which reveal the fundamental injustices of leasehold – can only be in the interest of leaseholders in every single site that is affected by Grenfell cladding.
Related posts:
Grenfell cladding crisis prompts the question: what are freeholders actually for?
Brokenshire wrongly says freeholders have paid for Grenfell cladding removal
Government thinking freeholders are paternalistic long-term custodians of a building is where it has gone wrong over Grenfell cladding
Grenfell cladding debate: Who thinks offshore freeholders will pay (apart from government ministers)?
Prime Minister ‘not ruling anything out’ with freeholders and builders over responsibility for Grenfell cladding
Full marks to Rynew for holding awards for people who have actually helped leaseholders. Well, it’s a novelty!
If I understand matters as a mere peasant, MCLG (?) is focused on towers above 18 metres, so presumably only those freeholders will be invited in for a wee chat? Given we might have about 4 million leaseholders not in social sector (?) I’m guessing loads more live in lower blocks that might have same cladding?
The Squire is gonna need a bigger room and a healthy postage budget to hoover up everyone.
I’ll risk a jam sandwich that the planned table, round or otherwise, will not manage to inveigle many private freeholders to pay for remediation to unsafe cladding and marshalling where leases allow them to pass on all costs backed by courts. But optimism isn’t my strongest quality.
The government could just hold its hands up and say Parliament failed to ensure safe building regs were in place, maybe? That only needs a modest ministerial desk.
Still, it’ll be nice for everyone invited to have a chat. Any chance of a reform bill being whisked out as well?
Is there any way that Scottish MPs can be persuaded to join the APPG ?
After all, leasehold is an area that Scotland can give superior advice to England and add value to the debate in Parliament..
Cladding will be a combustible material for politicians at the next election. 4 million leaseholders sacrificed on the altar of greed and feudal law is not really a vote winner.