Skip to main content

Significant Gaps Remain in Welsh Government Building Safety Announcement

 




The Welsh Liberal Democrats have welcomed progress announced today in the Welsh Government’s building safety announcement but have warned significant gaps remain.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS and Cardiff Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Rhys Taylor addressing building saftey campaigners.

 

The announcement given by Environment Minister Julie James MS confirmed that 9 property developers have now signed up to the Welsh Government’s “Developers Pact” agreeing in theory their responsibility to remediate buildings they constructed with safety defects.

 

The announcement follows a lengthy campaign by leaseholders in the five years since the Grenfell Tower Disaster.

 

However, three major developers are still yet to reply.

 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that due to the Welsh Government’s failure to work with the UK Government on the Building Safety Act, they are left with little to no options to deal with the property developers who have refused to come to the table and sign up to the agreement meaning that it could be another three years until the equivalent legislation comes into effect.

 

It is also not clear from the Welsh Government’s announcement whether they intend to adopt the UK Government Building Safety Act in full or move ahead with their own act.

 

Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

 

“I am of course glad to finally see some movement from Labour on this issue. I particularly welcome that the Welsh Government has listened to the Liberal Democrats calls to name and shame the property developers for not agreeing to carry out remediation work and to reimburse survey work carried out by leaseholders which is something we had really been pushing for.

 

“However there remain a number of significant gaps in the announcement today. Due to the lack of legislation in Wales, those homeowners in properties that were built by property developers refusing to engage with the process are effectively being asked to sit tight and wait after 5 years of already doing just that.

 

“As an interim measure, we would like to see the three developers refusing to engage barred from any work contracted by the Welsh Government or local authorities in Wales.

 

“We also don’t have an answer to what will be done about all the money victims have had to spend on waking watches, extortionate service charges and in many cases court cases against developers over the last few years while the Welsh Government failed to act. We want to see this reimbursed.

 

“Overall communication from the Welsh Government to the victims continues to be extremely poor. Victims and managing agents have spent the morning finding out by drip feed from the Welsh Government press releases rather than the Welsh Government engaging with them directly. This has been a feature throughout the ordeal, with the Welsh Government not engaging directly with victims or including them in discussions about resolutions.

 

“I and the Welsh Liberal Democrats are committed to securing the answers to the questions left by today’s announcement and will keep holding Labour to account to ensure victims of this scandal receive the justice they deserve.”

 

ENDS



Labels:
Location: Wales, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jo Swinson: Serious talks on Lib Dem-Plaid election pact

The Wales BBC Report : The Liberal Democrats are "seriously in discussions" with Plaid Cymru to agree a pact at the next general election, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has said. A poll is expected before Christmas because Boris Johnson's government has no majority in the House of Commons. The Liberal Democrats won the recent Brecon and Radnorshire by-election after Plaid agreed not to stand.  Opposition MPs have twice rejected the government's attempts to trigger a general election, insisting they want to ensure the UK does not leave the EU without a deal at the end of October before they vote for an election. Conservative m Asked how that was progressing, Ms Swinson told BBC Sunday Politics Wales: "There are constructive discussions underway…but those discussions will take their course and announcements will be made as that happens." Speaking ahead of her party's autumn conference, beginning in Bournemouth this weekend, the Lib Dem leade...
Read more

Lib Dems Propose New Bill to Protect Welsh Farmers

  The Liberal Democrats have proposed new legislation to protect Welsh farmers from being undercut by food trade deals that do not meet the UK’s environment and animal welfare standards.   The plans, set out in a private member’s bill from Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Rural Affairs Tim Farron MP, would require the government’s Trade and Agriculture Commission to assess the impact of any new trade deal on UK farmers, and guarantee that MPs had the final say on trade deals initiated by the government.   This would include an assessment of the impact of new trade deals on farming communities in each region and nation of the UK.   Farron’s Bill comes after concern was raised by farmers unions and the Welsh Liberal Democrats that the Government’s new trade deal with Australia will not include a Welsh-specific impact assessment. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS and Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP Commenting on his...
Post a Comment
Read more