Leeds Cladding Scandal calls meeting for Yorkshire leaseholders as campaigners say developers must pay

Cladding and building safety campaigners are holding a public meeting that will call on the Government and developers to do more to help Yorkshire leaseholders whose lives have been affected by the scandal that was uncovered after the Grenfell fire tragedy.
Sharon Dale
By Sharon Dale
Published 16th Mar 2023, 17:00 GMT
Updated 18th Mar 2023, 11:48 GMT

The meeting on Saturday, March 25 will be addressed by Hilary Benn MP and Leeds Council leader James Lewis, who will give leaseholders the chance to report the status of work in their blocks, understand the current cladding funding arrangements, and create a dialogue with political representatives.

Organised by Leeds Cladding Scandal and supported by the UK Cladding Action Group and #EndOurCladdingScandal the meeting, which is open to all, is being held following the Government revealing the names of developers that have not signed up to its Responsible Actors Scheme.

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The scheme established by Housing Secretary Michael Gove legally commits developers to fund cladding remediation costs and requires them to make buildings safe and reimburse taxpayers, with an estimated £2 billion expected to be committed to fund repairs.

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The cladding scandal is far from ove

It is feared the list of 11 major developers who have so far not signed up to the scheme includes some of those who constructed affected residential buildings in Yorkshire.

Exhausted Leeds campaigners have seen scant progress with removing dangerous cladding from high-rise blocks in the city and complain of a lack of engagement from developers.

Leeds is one of the worst affected cities outside London and has at least 70 buildings with fire safety issues as a result of flammable cladding, along with a lack of safety breaks.

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Timblebeck resident Rachael Loftus urges those affected to come to the meeting and says: “Leeds is one of the worst affected cities in the UK with more than 70 buildings unsafe. There are thousands of real lives being impacted in each of those buildings, and we need to raise our voices and help each other whilst this horrible mess continues on.”

Paul Afshar, of End Our Cladding Scandal, added: “We need developers to pay for the mess they created. At least 11 of the biggest refuse to pay and this meeting is an opportunity to raise the issue nationally and get them to put their money where their mouth is.”

The public meeting is being held at Civic Hall at 2.30pm. Places for the meeting can be reserved at: https://fb.me/e/3hPIq9kxd

Related topics:GovernmentYorkshireJames LewisMichael Gove