Background
In response to the final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, where unsafe external cladding contributed to a fire which tragically claimed the lives of 72 people, the Government launched a national Remediation Acceleration Plan in December 2024.
The plan set out expectations for remediation work to start in high-rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding by the end of 2025 at the latest, with the aim that by the end of 2029 all such 18m+ buildings will have been remediated. A second target is that by the end of 2029, every 11-18m building with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated, or have a date for completion of remediation works, or the landlords will be liable for severe penalties.
What’s happening in South Yorkshire?
The Government confirmed that Mayors across England could play a key role in driving progress, bringing together and coordinating activity between local partners and statutory regulators to address the national objectives of fixing buildings faster, identifying all buildings with unsafe cladding, and supporting residents.
In November 2024 Mayor Oliver Coppard invited local housing authorities, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, housing providers and other partners to work on preparing a Local Remediation Acceleration Plan (LRAP) for the Region. The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will oversee its delivery. However, it must be highlighted that both the Mayor and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has no powers, funding or responsibility for remediating unsafe buildings.
A draft South Yorkshire LRAP and funding request was submitted to Government in December 2024.
Funding for the Region
In April 2025 funding of £225,000 was awarded to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. This funding will support:
• Development and publication of the LRAP and regular engagement with government to monitor progress.
• Working with local regulators and partners to ensure that the best placed regulator takes action to drive forward remediation where progress has stalled.
• Providing assistance with the resourcing of building safety, other technical and data analysis capacity across the Region
• Overseeing action and progress for buildings that are escalated by schemes for enforcement action by regulators.
Developing our Plan
We have been working collaboratively with our local authorities and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to develop a Plan which will give detail on our collective work to:
• Identify all 18m+ buildings where progress has stalled and set out clear expectations on next steps to for further action as necessary.
• Support the identification and remediation of 11-18m buildings with unsafe cladding, working in cooperation with Homes England.
• Make sure that buildings awaiting remediation or undergoing works are as safe as possible.
• Improve coordination and data sharing between regulators and partners.
• Use the new National Remediation System (NRS) when it is fully in place.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has convened statutory regulators as part of a South Yorkshire Remediation Task Group and will provide a convening, oversight and monitoring role, coordinating activity between local partners and regulators to deliver this Plan.
What’s next?
The Local Remediation Acceleration Plan is being finalised and will be reviewed by SYMCA’s Board on the 9th September 2025. Subject to approval, the plan will be published in September 2025.
Collaborative work will continue to refine the accuracy of the data and information held on potentially unsafe high-rise buildings across the Region, with a view to further updating the LRAP within 12 months.
