Written Statement: Welsh Building Safety Programme

The Welsh Building Safety Programme remains central to our commitment to ensuring that residents across Wales live in safe homes.  

The programme has seen considerable progress by developers over the past year, and I am encouraged that only 17 buildings are still awaiting surveys compared to 58 buildings in December 2024. 43 buildings are now in planning stages, with all but one due to start works in the first half of next year. An additional 15 buildings have either completed or had works begin since January 2025.

This represents significant improvement, but I am not complacent.  I will ensure a laser focus on buildings where progress has stalled and where possible provide government support to remove barriers. I am encouraged by the commitment from all signatories to the developer contract to ensure work is started at every development in Wales by December 2026. This represents a clear timeline that will help provide certainty to leaseholders.

I expect the needs of leaseholders and residents to be prioritised in the planning and completion of remediation works. I have recently published guidance to clearly emphasise those expectations and support those involved to ensure works are progressed quickly.

We have been working intensively with developers to ensure these commitments translate into visible progress on the ground. Regular monitoring meetings are held to track progress against agreed milestones, and I can confirm that the majority of developer-responsible buildings are now progressing through the necessary stages of assessment, planning, and remediation.

I recognise communication with leaseholders and residents has often fallen short of expectations. Over the past year, we have made meaningful strides in this area. The launch of the Leaseholder and Resident Forum has provided a vital platform for those directly affected to share their experiences, raise concerns, and provide feedback, ensuring leaseholders voices are heard. I have been impressed by the constructive engagement of forum members and the valuable insights they have provided.

Additionally, my officials have undertaken a comprehensive programme of engagement events across Wales, ensuring that leaseholders in different regions have had the opportunity to access information, ask questions, and understand the support available to them. This direct engagement has been invaluable in ensuring that the voices of those most affected inform our ongoing work.

Whilst I welcome the commitments made by developers, I am clear that signing a contract is only the first step. I will continue to closely monitor the progress of all developers who have signed up to the contract. Where a developer is in breach of their contractual obligations the Welsh Ministers would consider all enforcement options available to them.

Building safety is not negotiable, and neither are the obligations that developers have accepted. Significant progress has been made, but there is more work to do. I remain committed to ensuring every building in the programme receives the remediation it needs, that leaseholders are supported throughout this process, and that those responsible for building safety failures are held to account.