Two of remaining four firms not to sign cladding pledge edge closer to putting pen to paper

Two of the remaining four housebuilders who were ‘named and shamed’ by Michael Gove last month for missing a cladding contract deadline are closer to signing.

The housing secretary listed 11 housebuilders who had missed a six-week deadline to sign the contract, which gives legal force to a pledge to remediate their own blocks over 11m going back 30 years.

Gove has threatened to put the housebuilders out of business using new legal powers in the Building Safety Act if they don’t sign.

Of the remaining four, Building’s sister title Housing Today understands £505m turnover Avant Homes is in talks with Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) officials and is expecting to sign the contract soon. Avant declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Dandara said it wants to sign the contract “as soon as possible” and is having “positive” talks with DLUHC about the details.

He said: “We are pleased that we have signed the Developers Pledge Letter and maintain that our intention is to sign the Developer Remediation contract as soon as possible.

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“We are having positive conversations with DLUHC regarding the details and also relevant owners and management companies as we investigate the remediation works that may be required in respect of fire safety issues.”

Of the other two housebuilders on Gove’s list, Abbey Developments has so far not responded to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, £19m-turnover Rydon Homes is the only housebuilder to signal it might refuse to sign the contract, saying in March it believes it falls into a category of a SME housebuilder and therefore should not be included.

Yesterday, Lendlease, which signed the cladding pledge last month, admitted it had no other choice, saying in its latest results for its UK ad Europe business: “The proposed [government] restrictions, including not being able to gain development or construction or government funding, would have materially adversely impacted operations of Lendlease in the UK.”