BUILDING SAFETY FUND (B S F)

A SCHEME TO FUND THE REMEDIATION OF CLADDING ON HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

The government announced the Building Safety Fund (Fund) in March 2020 to fund the remediation of cladding on high-rise residential buildings (buildings over 18 metres). The Fund opened for new applications, and with adaptions, on 28 July 2022 for eligible buildings without a funding solution in place.

• The Fund is part of the wider Building Safety Programme which aims to ensure that residents of high-rise buildings are safe in their homes – now and in the future.
• The Fund meets the cost of addressing life-safety fire risks associated with cladding in high-rise residential buildings, where the building owner or developer can’t afford do so.
• The Fund is open for new applications from responsible entities of private or social sector buildings that meet the following criteria:
  
  – buildings that are 18 metres or above (with 30cm tolerance),
  – buildings have at least one qualifying residential leaseholder (with the exception of social-sector landlords applying due to financial viability concerns),
  – the building must have cladding, as defined in the PAS 9980:2022 code of practice, buildings have a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall construction (FRAEW) following the PAS 9980:2022 methodology which recommends actions to address fire risks to life safety presented by the external wall system.
• All new Applicants should provide a FRAEW following the PAS9980:2022 methodology unless they have committed to or started works to remove and replace cladding on or after 11 March 2020 but before 28 July 2022, and not completed works to remove and replace cladding by 28 July 2022 and the application is for these works.
• Once accepted, your application will be subject to technical checks. Following successful review you will need to establish your works specification and complete further checks. These are carried out working with DLUHC’s delivery partners – either the Greater London Authority or Homes England.

To find out more about the BSF and apply for funding, visit the Governments website at Gov.uk