Firms yet to sign cladding pledge say it is ‘top of their agenda’

Telford Homes has said it is waiting to see if the government will give it more time to decide whether to sign the pledge to remediate its own tower blocks between 11m and 18m high.

The £240m-turnover housebuilder has said signing the building safety pledge was a “complex matter” and was currently discussing it with key stakeholders, including the Home Builders Federation.

Another housebuilder, the £179m-turnover Weston Homes, said it has agreed to sign up but not put pen to paper yet because it had not received the relevant paperwork.

The pair were among several names not on the list published last week by the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC) of 35 housebuilders in England that had signed the pledge.

The DLUHC added: “For the companies yet to make the pledge, the secretary of state has also confirmed there is little time left for them to sign up, and that those who continue to refuse will face consequences if they fail to do so.”

It said the government is bringing in powers that would allow housing secretary Michael Gove to prevent any firms refusing to sign the pledge from building or selling new homes.

In a statement, Telford Homes told Building’s sister title Housing Today: “We acknowledge the development industry’s responsibility to leaseholders and are actively discussing the building safety pledge with key stakeholders, including the Home Builders Federation.

“We are awaiting an extension of the signing deadline in order to evaluate this complex matter and will continue to address this issue to the benefit of leaseholders.”

And Weston Homes said: “Weston Homes at its recent board meeting has discussed and considered the proposition from the secretary of state, and has agreed to sign up to the HBF pledge. However, Weston Homes has not yet received the paperwork, once this is received, it will be signed and returned immediately.”

Another firm, Inland Homes, which was also not on the list, said it would “update the market shortly” on its decision.

The £124m-turnover, AIM-listed firm said: “Building safety is our first priority and we fully support the principle that leaseholders should not have to pay for remediating blocks with fire safety issues. This matter is on top of the board’s agenda and we will update the market shortly.”

Crest Nicholson, which has a £678m turnover, was on the list but as a firm that “intended” to sign. The company said its position had not changed since it released a statement on 5 April, which said it would sign the pledge but that it had to calculate the “further exceptional charge” the move would cost. It has predicted this will be between £80m and £120m. Its half year ends next week with interim results due on 14 June.