Scotland's approach to building safety has evolved significantly over the past two years, with a series of legislative milestones creating a clearer framework for assessing, funding and progressing remediation works across the country.
The Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 established the foundation for this work. The Act gives Scottish Ministers powers to assess buildings, arrange remediation works, take urgent action where required, and establish the Cladding Assurance Register. It also provides the framework for a Responsible Developers Scheme, intended to secure developer involvement in addressing or contributing to the cost of remediation where appropriate.
The Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Act 2026, which became law in May, creates the framework for a new Scottish Building Safety Levy. The levy is expected to apply from April 2028 to certain new residential developments, with exemptions including social housing, affordable housing and homes built on islands. The final framework also includes an annual levy-free allowance intended to protect smaller developers. The levy is intended to provide a dedicated funding stream for building safety expenditure, including cladding remediation where no linked developer can be held responsible, and is expected to raise up to £450 million over 15 years.
On the ground, progress through the national Cladding Remediation Programme continues. As of March, Scottish government-funded Single Building Assessments were underway for 149 buildings, 16 Scottish Government-funded assessments had been completed, and remediation works were underway in three buildings. The programme is still at a relatively early stage, and the pace of completed assessments and remediation activity will be an important measure of progress in the months ahead.
Ed Cooper, Director of Region for SG Property Management, said:
“Ensuring residents are safe in their homes is a responsibility we take seriously, and the legislative progress made in Scotland over recent years reflects the importance the sector and government place on getting this right. We welcome the clearer framework now in place for assessment and remediation, alongside the policy intention that homeowners should not be expected to meet the cost of essential life-critical cladding remediation.
“As with any significant policy change, the detail of implementation will matter enormously. The levy must be calibrated in a way that supports building safety without undermining housing supply or development viability.
“Our wider experience of supporting clients and residents through building safety and cladding-related remediation matters should put us in good stead as the Scottish framework continues to develop. These projects require clear communication, robust governance, proper stakeholder engagement and close coordination between owners, contractors, professional advisers and government bodies. We will continue to follow developments closely and support our clients and residents as the programme progresses.”
