The Government’s Responsible Actors scheme, which will specify which companies can carry out major development in England, has come into law.
The scheme will be launched over the summer and aims to recognize actions taken by housebuilders and developers to correct fire safety failings.
Program members must sign the government’s developer remediation contract, which requires them to take responsibility for addressing defects and keeping residents informed of progress.
Developers who do not adhere to the scheme, or do not comply with its conditions, will be banned from carrying out a major development in England, and may not receive building control approval for existing construction let’s go.
The rehabilitation obligations of the contract apply to residential buildings over 11 meters that the companies have developed or renovated during the last 30 years. Members must also repay any funds they took from the £5.1bn Building Safety Fund set up by the government to fix cladding defects.
Dandara recently became the 49th developer to agree to sign the contract. Only two companies – Abbey Developments and Rydon Homes, the sister company of Grenfell contractor Rydon Maintenance – have not yet signed up.
In March, housing secretary Michael Gove warned that companies that did not sign the contract would be “put out of the housebuilding business in England unless they change course”.
“They will not be able to start new developments in England or receive building control approval for work that is already underway,” he added.
The contract followed a non-binding commitment to repair buildings, which was signed by 49 developers.
On July 3, regulations were approved to establish the Responsible Actors Plan, under the Building Safety Act of 2022.
