Housing developers have been ordered to sign legally binding contracts that they will pay to repair unsafe buildings.
The Government has set a six-week deadline for developers to sign legal agreements and is warning that companies who fail to sign and comply with the terms of the contract will face consequences – effectively being pushed out of the market.
Legislation will be brought forward in the spring giving the secretary of state powers to prevent companies from operating freely in the housing market if they fail to sign.
The contract, drawn up by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is aimed at protecting thousands of leaseholders living in hundreds of buildings across England.
These include many living in buildings with unsafe cladding, a major cause of the Grenfell disaster six years ago in which 72 people died. Housing secretary Michael Gove said: ‘In signing this contract, developers will be taking a big step towards restoring confidence in the sector and providing much needed certainty to all concerned.
‘There will be nowhere to hide for those who fail to step up to their responsibilities – I will not hesitate to act and they will face significant consequences.’
