UK governrnent urged to help Scots trapped in 'cladding limbo'

Scotland's housing minister has called on the UK government to take urgent action to help homeowners trapped in a "cladding limbo" since the Grenfell tragedy.

Cladding on many flats has left homeowners unable to sell or re-mortgage in the wake of safety regulation changes.

Kevin Stewart has written to the Secretary of State for Housing for the fourth time to raise the issue of banks and building societies refusing to grant mortgages on homes with the type of cladding which, since the London tower-block fire, has been re-classified as a potential risk.

Regulations on cladding changed after 72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell fire, when the flammable sheeting caused the blaze to spread.

The change has meant that people attempting to sell or re-mortgage their homes are unable to do so as they cannot provide the correct documentation to prove the cladding on their house or flat meets fire safety standards.

The UK government has said it is looking at options for loan agreements to support buildings of 11 metres and above that require cladding remediation work. However, groups representing leaseholders in England caught up in the cladding scandal have said that any plan that would involve loan deals rather than grants would be “unacceptable and morally wrong”.

Today Mr Stewart said: “This is the now the fourth time I have written to the responsible UK Minister on this serious and urgent issue. It is causing unnecessary stress to homeowners and buyers across Scotland through no fault of their own. UK Ministers must take this seriously and respond with the action they intend to take to find a resolution to this matter.”

He said people had been left "unable to sell or re-mortgage their homes" due to changes made by lenders following the publication government advice notes on cladding. "Others will have seen purchases fall through as lenders have been unwilling to sanction mortgages on these properties until further clarity is obtained," he said.

"Having written to you on 18 October, 8 November and on 19 December last year, I would have expected the courtesy of a reply to any or all of those letters indicating your views, setting out what actions you are taking and what further actions we might all consider to resolve this impasse as soon as possible."

He added: "That offer remains, not least as the pressure on the people through no fault of their own, and on the market as a whole, continues to grow and will do so until the matter is fully resolved.

"I would ask now for an urgent reply, an indication of what action you propose to resolve the matter and any suggestions you may have on joint working to resolve a matter of real importance to people both in Scotland and across the UK."