Unlimited fines or prison for building owners that miss new deadline for unsafe cladding removal

There will also be a government backstop to help bring an end to the building safety crisis, and residents will be given greater control in situations of acute harm where landlords have neglected their responsibilities.

New powers will be handed down to Homes England and local authorities to remediate buildings with unsafe cladding if the landlord fails to do so.

Metro mayors have been given £5m to drive forward progress in their regions, and there will be a new single national dataset covering information on all relevant residential buildings that are taller than 11 metres.

Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and housing secretary, said: “We have given social landlords access to over £1bn to remediate unsafe cladding and make residents safe. 

“The social sector is ready to rise to the challenge and make sure that residents are safe in their homes. We are also today sending a clear message to those responsible for a building still wrapped in unsafe cladding: act now or face the consequences.

“Our Remediation Bill will include a new duty on you to make your building safe by a specified date, and new powers to impose serious penalties on those who fail to comply with the duty and ultimately to bypass them if necessary to make the building safe.”

The £1bn was announced during the Spending Review when the government confirmed that the social housing sector will have equal access to remediation funding by changing the rules of the Cladding Safety Scheme.

The plan will enshrine 22 commitments in law, which the government believes will “shave years off remediation timelines”. 

At least 110 social landlords, which collectively account for over 75% of buildings known to require remediation, have already signed up to the joint plan. 

At a local level, metro mayors are expected to help drive through work in their areas with a £5m boost in support.

Through ‘local remediation acceleration plans’, mayoral strategic authorities will work closely with regulators and draw on local expertise to drive progress in their areas.

Building safety minister Alex Norris said: “We are determined to make buildings safe and protect residents. Since publishing our Remediation Acceleration Plan, we’ve made strong progress, and this update goes further to drive accountability and remove barriers to speed up remediation.

“There is now a clear pathway to remediate every building with unsafe cladding. We expect everyone to play their part in giving residents and leaseholders the peace of mind that they deserve.”

Mr Norris has written an exclusive comment piece with Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, for Inside Housing about how policy is changing so social and private sector landlords will have equal access to remediation funding.