James Brokenshire to announce ban on use of combustible cladding in wake of Grenfell Tower tragedy

The use of combustible cladding is to be banned on all new residential buildings above 18 metres, as well as schools, care homes, student accommodation and hospitals.

The measure, resulting from a lengthy consultation following last year’s Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, is to be formally announced by Housing Secretary James Brokenshire at the Conservative conference in Birmingham on Monday.

Flammable cladding was blamed for the rapid spread of the fire at the West London high-rise, which claimed 72 lives in June 2017.

In his keynote address to the conference, Mr Brokenshire will say: “It’s been over a year since the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire.

“This unimaginable horror has rightly shocked us all and underlined the need to do all that we can to see that such a disaster cannot happen again.

“My work with Grenfell United and the wider community has been hugely helpful in keeping this issue right at the top of the Government’s agenda.

“And that is why today I can confirm that I will change the building regulations to ban the use of combustible cladding for all high-rise residential buildings, hospitals, care homes and student accommodation.

“And bring about a change in culture on building safety.”

Speaking on Sunday ahead of his conference address, Mr Brokenshire said he saw the new rules as "a first step in driving a cultural change in the construction sector" and that lessons must be learned and applied following the June 2017 blaze.

"We need to make a chance to the building regulations, to standardise and go for certain specifications of the materials that can be used in the exterior of high-rise residential buildings" and other social buildings.

The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup added that the new legislation was created with the intention of "driving care in the industry" and "setting new standards through building regulations".

The ban will cover all combustible materials, including cladding, on new buildings. However, it will not be applied retrospectively where materials have already been fitted.

The Government is already undertaking a £400 million programme to remove suspect cladding from all high-rise social housing in England and is working with those responsible for private blocks to take action, although Mr Brokenshire said that some private companies needed to "step up to the plate" and "speed up" what they are doing in a bid to ensure that their residents "feel secure".

The ban will be implemented through changes to building regulations to be brought forward in late autumn.