Matthew has again raised the issue of timber framed and UPVC cladding on hundreds of properties in the Hendon constituency.
Following a fire last year in a council owned property, Barnet Council commissioned an independent investigation to assess if there were any similar properties in the Borough that have the same potential fire safety issues.
The investigation identified that 153 council owned homes, 7 leasehold and 426 freehold properties – which were sold by the Council under the Right to Buy Scheme – are of similar construction to the homes affected by the fire. This is of particular importance to Matthew, as 459 affected properties are in the Burnt Oak ward.
When these timber framed and UPVC properties were constructed - and subsequently sold - they complied with Building Regulations that were in force at the time. But following the introduction of post-Grenfell building standards, Barnet Council now believes that these properties constitute a Category 1 hazard under the Housing Act 2004. Subsequently, the Council has written to every household affected to advise remedial works must be undertaken. Currently, the Government has provided £5.1 billion to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding on all buildings taller than 11 metres. The properties in Barnet are single story houses and flats and as such do not qualify. This is believed to be the first low rise properties in the UK that have been identified to be at risk.
Speaking at Business Questions, Matthew asked the Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, if she would arrange for a Minister to attend the Commons and advise how the Government will help people who have found themselves facing large bills for remedial works on their properties – that was not caused by themselves.
Responding to Matthew’s question, the Leader of the Commons said “The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is aware of the action that Barnet Council is taking, and continues to engage closely with it on the next steps following the fire that he refers to. DLUHC officials are seeking further information from Barnet Council regarding the nature of the risks that have been identified to understand whether its response is proportionate to the risks presented in low-rise stock. The Building Safety Regulator is also aware, keeping the situation under review and ensuring that what is being done is in line with its statutory responsibilities.”
Matthew said “The large number of constituents in one part of my constituency under threat from this problem is very concerning. I have received a fair number of letters and emails from constituents about this but not the details of 459 properties.
"Barnet Council is legally not allowed to share the contact details of each resident with me because of data protection legislation so I am directly asking each and every person who has received a letter from Barnet Council about their timber framed home to contact me directly, in writing, stating their name, address and size of their property. This will allow me to take their cases directly to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. My concern is that local authority officials can sometimes insist on a level of delivery that we as individuals may not always agree with or are able to afford. As such, I will be meeting with Ministers from the DLHC to determine an affordable and safe way forward to resolve this safety issue.”
