Gove gives reprieve to housebuilders that failed to sign up to safety scheme

theguardian.com:

Michael Gove has given 11 housebuilders – including one affiliated with the main contractor on Grenfell Tower – a last-minute reprieve after they failed to sign up to a government safety scheme by Monday’s deadline.

The levelling up secretary revealed on Tuesday that 39 companies had signed up to the building safety contract, which details how they will replace any flammable material found in their mid-rise developments in England. The contract is a key part of the government’s response to the Grenfell fire, and will force housebuilders to spend a collective £2bn on remediation works.

But Gove said on Tuesday that Rydon Homes, a sister company to Rydon Maintenance, which led the refurbishment before the fire during which combustible cladding was added to the building, was one of those that failed to sign up in time.

Rydon said it did not believe it should have to sign the contract, which is aimed at larger housebuilders, as it was too small. A spokesperson said: “Rydon Homes develops an average of 16 family homes per year, which confirms our belief that Rydon Homes falls into the category of a small housebuilder. We have made this point to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) but have had no response.”

Gove had threatened that any company that failed to comply with the deadline would be barred from building residential properties in England. But he deferred that prospect on Tuesday, saying the government would first set up a “responsible actors scheme” for those that had signed, giving more time to those that have not yet done so.

Gove told MPs on Tuesday: “The overwhelming majority of major developers have signed; some regrettably have not. Parliament has made clear what this means and so have I.