Mayor urges action over Skyline cladding snub
Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett has asked the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to write to the secretary of state to question the Government’s decision not to fund the removal of unsafe cladding from a local building.
Residents at the 18-storey Skyline Central 1 off Rochdale Road in Manchester have taken out loans to fund the removal of the cladding, which is almost complete.
However, the residents of the 248-apartment complex have since been told they will not get their money back, as the building is ineligible for funding from the Government’s £1bn cladding removal fund because the removal work had already started before a funding application was made, according to Dennett.
Forced to sign up to loans of up to £25,000 in January or face losing our homes. Now we’re not eligible to apply for the fund that was designed to help people like ourselves. This can’t be right… @mhclg @RobertJenrick @team_greenhalgh @LucyMPowell https://t.co/eKOMi2bU3M
— Skyline Central 1 (@SkylineCentral1) May 28, 2020
A spokesperson for HomeGround, the asset manager of Skyline Central 1 owner Adriatic Land, said it “fully supported” the residents and said it was “not right” that they should be denied funding.
Meanwhile, work to remove cladding from two blocks in Manchester’s Green Quarter is nearing completion after the developer of the two blocks, Lendlease, agreed to foot the bill.
Elsewhere, Salford Council has agreed a revised agreement with housing manager Pendelton Together Operating to unlock funding for the removal of unsafe cladding from nine residential blocks.
Pendleton Together had twice been refused funding from the Government to remediate the blocks before its parent company stepped in with a loan for the work.