The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) responds to the Prime Minister’s announcement that around £200 million will be made available to remove and replace unsafe cladding from around 170 privately owned high-rise buildings.
Jane Duncan, chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety at the Royal Institute of British Architects, said: “It is of great concern that nearly two years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy there are still many hundreds of buildings with cladding systems that have been identified as a risk to public safety. Whilst we support the cladding fund announcement, many people have faced real stress and financial hardship because of a past failure in regulation.
Government action is happening, but regrettably it has been extremely slow. We are yet to see regulatory change on other issues that might help prevent fire tragedies in the future. We want to see the government introduce improved regulation on the provision of sprinklers and alternative means of escape in residential buildings. We must ensure that the public is protected.”
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Notes to editors
- For more information about how the RIBA has responded to the Grenfell Tower fire, see here.
- For further press information contact Elise Neve Elise.Neve@riba.org +44 (0)20 7307 3761
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. www.architecture.com. Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA.
