Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, expressed her concern over the slow progress in removing unsafe cladding from at-risk buildings, stating that it is her responsibility to ensure that the remaining works are completed swiftly. These remarks were made during her visit to Dagenham, east London, a day after a fire broke out in a block of flats undergoing cladding remediation.
Although all residents were accounted for and the fire was brought under control, the incident has once again brought attention to the sluggish pace of cladding remediation since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. Rayner, while meeting with residents in the affected area, shared that approximately 4,630 buildings still have non-compliant cladding, and while over 50% of them have started remediation work, it is not happening fast enough.
The urgency for action is further heightened as the final report of the Grenfell Tower inquiry is set to be published in a week. Rayner highlighted the need to expedite the process, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safety of residents in at-risk buildings.
The incident at Dagenham serves as a stark reminder that the threat of unsafe cladding still looms over thousands of buildings across the country. Immediate action is required to address this issue and prevent further potentially catastrophic incidents. The government must prioritize the safety and wellbeing of its citizens by accelerating the remediation works and implementing stricter regulations to prevent such disasters in the future.