The cladding remediation backlog has risen 12% since January, according to data from the inspection platform Property Inspect. The increase reflects ongoing challenges in fixing unsafe façades across the United Kingdom.
Authorities are now monitoring 4,697 residential blocks for possible remediation work, a figure that highlights the scale of the issue that followed the Grenfell Tower fire.
While completed remediation projects have climbed 22.2%, the number of buildings awaiting work has also grown. Approvals from the Building Safety Regulator are currently taking about 33 weeks to process.
These processing delays raise concerns about capacity in the construction sector, a factor that has already affected development financing and other property transactions.
On the same day, the government introduced the Building Safety Levy, with charges that can reach up to £100 per square metre in some cases. The levy is intended to create a dedicated funding stream for remediation costs.
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“The Building Safety Levy marks an important step in addressing one of the biggest challenges to emerge from the building safety crisis, because it creates a dedicated mechanism for the development sector to contribute towards the cost of putting unsafe buildings right,” said Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, Operations Director at Property Inspect. “However, money alone will not clear the backlog. The latest figures show that the number of buildings being monitored for remediation continues to grow, while thousands of buildings remain somewhere in the remediation pipeline.”
For leaseholders and investors, the expanding backlog translates into practical difficulties. Restrictions on selling or remortgaging properties in affected blocks, while heightened due-diligence scrutiny adds time and cost to transactions.
In July, the government extended cladding funding to low-rise buildings under 11 metres for the first time, widening the scope of remediation obligations.
The Metropolitan Police has forwarded 20 files involving 20 companies and 54 individuals linked to the Grenfell Tower fire to the Crown Prosecution Service. Charges under consideration include corporate manslaughter and health-and-safety offences, with decisions expected before June 2027.
