UK Sets 2029 Deadline for Cladding Removal

The UK government has announced a 2029 deadline for building owners to remove dangerous cladding from high-rise buildings, with significant penalties, including potential jail time, for non-compliance. Building Safety Minister Alex Norris emphasized that there are still an estimated 4,000-7,000 buildings with unsafe cladding yet to be identified, seven years after the Grenfell Tower disaster, which claimed 72 lives. The newly launched Remediation Acceleration Plan mandates that all buildings over 18 meters must either be remediated or scheduled for repairs, or landlords could face criminal sanctions. Campaigners have criticized the government's response as inadequate, arguing that it complicates an already challenging process. Norris assured that the government would use various enforcement powers to ensure compliance with the new regulations. The inquiry into the Grenfell fire previously highlighted systemic failures by companies involved in producing and selling hazardous cladding materials.