Councils cleared to rip Grenfell-style cladding from private buildings

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Housing secretary gives authorities power to remove panels and bill landlords

The government has lost patience with private owners of high-rise buildings who failed to remove dangerous Grenfell-style cladding and has given councils the power to strip the materials off themselves and reclaim the multimillion-pound cost from the landlord.

The housing secretary, James Brokenshire, has acted after months of warnings to the landlords of at least 100 high-rise apartment blocks, hotels and student residences who have failed to produce plans to remove the dangerous cladding and have threatened to pass on the cost to leaseholders. He announced on Thursday a change to housing health and safety regulations to force them to put things right.

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