黑洞社区

Michael Gove has threatened to put the 11 housebuilders who missed yesterday鈥檚 deadline for signing a building safety contract 鈥渙ut of the housebuilding business entirely鈥� unless they sign up.

The housing secretary read out a list  in the House of Commons this afternoon of 11 developers (see below) who were asked to sign the contract, which gives legal force to a pledge to remediate their own blocks over 11m going back 30 years, but have not yet done so.

Gove previously even for schemes with planning permission. He revealed a list of 39 housebuilders who have signed the pledge.

But Gove told MPs this afternoon: 鈥淲hile the overwhelming majority of major developers have signed, some regrettably have not and this house has made it clear what this means and so have I.

鈥淭hose companies will be out of the housebuilding business in England entirely unless they change their course,鈥� he said.

He said that those who were invited to sign but have not done so will not be eligible to join the responsible actors scheme, which the government is setting up under new powers under the 黑洞社区 Safety Act.

Gove said: 鈥淭hey will not be able to commence new developments in England or receive building control approval for work that is already underway.鈥�

The housing secretary said, however, that his officials remain in discussion with several of the 11 鈥渨ho are making progress towards signing鈥�.

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He also repeated his threat to write to housebuilders鈥� investors and to local authorities and building inspectors 鈥渢o explain that these developers鈥� projects may not be started or signed off鈥�. He also pledged to notify public bodies to re-open tenders and to potential homebuyers in order 鈥渢o set out the risks involved in purchasing homes from companies that have chosen to ignore the prohibitions鈥�.

Gove said the 39 housebuilders who have signed will remediate 1,100 buildings and spend more than 拢2bn, which is 鈥渕oney saved for the taxpayer鈥�. He added: 鈥淚 remain grateful to those developers who have been so keen to live up to their obligations.鈥�

He also said the government will do more to pursue construction product manufacturers 鈥渨ho also bear a heavy responsibility鈥� for unsafe buildings, adding he will say more on the subject in the coming weeks.