Title

HOUSING

Budget 2020: £1bn building safety fund to remove unsafe cladding

A new £1bn fund to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings has been unveiled today by the chancellor.

A new £1bn fund to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings has been unveiled today by the chancellor.

In his 2020 Budget announcement, Rishi Sunak said the £1bn building safety fund will enable all unsafe materials to be removed from public and private buildings more than 18 metres tall.

Mr Sunak also said the Affordable Homes Programme would be extended with a new, multi-year settlement of £12bn, the largest cash injection into affordable housing for a decade.

Nearly £1.1bn of allocations from the Housing Infrastructure Fund will help build nearly 70,000 new homes in high demand areas across the country, he said.

In addition, ‘ambitious' mayors will have access to a new £400m fund to build new homes on brownfield sites.

To help tackle homelessness, the chancellor said a new £650m fund would help rough sleepers move into permanent accommodation, which will provide 6,000 new places and 'enable a step change in support services'.

HOUSING

How we delivered the Youth Investment Fund in Blackburn with Darwen

By Imran Akuji | 21 April 2026

Delivering the Youth Investment Fund in Blackburn with Darwen required a deliberate shift in the council’s role from lead applicant to system steward, says I...

HOUSING

Winning the war on waste?

By David Blackman | 16 April 2026

Is Reform UK’s waste drive just a saloon bar dream or are there still genuine efficiencies to be gleaned in local government? David Blackman reports

HOUSING

Beyond the safety net: Embedding prevention at the core of social care reform

By Tom Stannard | 20 March 2026

If we are serious about building sustainable public services and improving outcomes for our communities, early intervention cannot remain a long-term ambitio...

HOUSING

Policing reform: Opportunities and challenges

By John Czul | 20 March 2026

Jon Czul says scrapping Police and Crime Commissioners will not, in itself, improve public safety, but that if the transition is handled carefully it could c...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman