Housing Secretary Michael Gove has suggested that collective government failures in construction regulations “over many years” contributed to the Grenfell Tower catastrophe.
He said a new contract issued on Monday would tell developers who erected dangerous structures “to make them safe.”
According to the minister, “far too many” dangerous buildings still require repairs.
The investigation into the 2017 fire, which killed 72 people, is concluded, and a report is anticipated later this year.
Evidence presented at the investigation revealed that combustible cladding on tower blocks was commonly accept as official advice.
The committee was told of “poor” building rules and government shortcomings, as well as “cynical” and “potentially dishonest activities” in the construction business.
The government had previously mentioned technical advice that had been chastised for failing to state unequivocally that combustible cladding panels should not be placed on tall structures.
“No one needs to convince me how vital it was to deal with all the problems raised by the Grenfell Tower disaster,” Mr. Gove said on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
According to the housing secretary, it was not the fault of any individual, minister, department, or administration.
Instead, he claimed there had been a collective failure “over many years” – what he characterized as “a failure to effectively have a system of building rules which could keep people safe.”
“I now have to deal with it, and one component of that is that tomorrow I’ll be issuing a warrant that says to the developers concerned, those who put up unsafe structures, ‘Look, you now have, as you said, an opportunity to fix it right and make it safe,” he continued.
Mr. Gove stated that “substantial progress” had been made to secure “the most vulnerable buildings,” those taller than 18 meters.
Previously, in an discussion with the Sunday Times, Mr. Gove stated that he considered the regulatory structure was “faulty and confusing” and that the government was not sufficiently policing it.
He further said developers were “actively willing” to jeopardize lives for profit.
Mr. Gove is anticipated to propose a six-week deadline for developers to sign a government contract to repair their unsafe towers or face market exclusion.
“Those who have not [signed] will face consequences. They will be unable to build new homes “According to Mr. Gove.
According to the publication, a “responsible actor system” will be form in the spring to prevent such businesses from obtaining planning or building control permission.
It is one of several policies that force developers to improve the condition of the buildings they manage or risk being bar from receiving finance or constructing new residences.
