Plans are in place to speed up the remediation of unsafe cladding at residential buildings 11 metres or higher across the West Midlands
Following the announcement of the West Midlands Remediation Acceleration Plan (WMRAP) in September 2025, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is now seeking input from stakeholders and residents on the challenges they may encounter as urgent remediation work progresses.
Developed in response to the Grenfell Inquiry Report recommending that mayoral combined authorities “bring together key partners, including local fire services and councils, to coordinate action to tackle the issue” of unsafe cladding on high-rise residential buildings, the plan outlines how unsafe buildings will be identified and fixed more quickly, as well as how residents' experience will be improved.
Building safety remediation data from July 2025 indicates there are currently 273 buildings in the West Midlands that are 11 metres or higher involved in a government-run scheme or programme. Approximately 168 buildings have completed remediation work, while 87 remain to be started.
In line with the government’s wider Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP), the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) wrote to WMCA in late 2024 regarding the preparation of a Local Remediation Acceleration Plan (LRAP), alongside its intention to empower metro mayors to work in partnership with local authorities and regulators to drive forward a local remediation strategy.
With this in mind, the WMRAP has been developed in collaboration with the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service, local authorities, and the government. It sets out three key priorities for the region:
- fix buildings faster by increasing enforcement capacity to ensure all residential buildings above 11 metres in height have combustible and unsafe external cladding fully remediated or reduced to a ‘tolerable’ risk level
- increase monitoring to identify buildings with unsafe cladding
- support residents throughout the remediation process.
In July 2025, Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, held a building safety roundtable with residents affected by unsafe cladding on their buildings. Parker said: “I’ve listened to heartbreaking stories from residents about the impact living in an unsafe building is having on their lives.
“The Grenfell Tower tragedy must always remain in our minds as a stark example of what can happen when safety is not put first.
"That’s why we’ve been working with partner agencies to get the remediation process sped up, so we can ensure nothing like this ever happens again. Everyone deserves a safe home.”
Utilising expertise, local knowledge, and resources to create single area strategies, WMCA states that central to its remediation objectives is the creation of a West Midlands Remediation Acceleration Unit that will “define an accelerated remediation pathway for the region”. The unit is expected to bolster enforcement capacity at the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) and Birmingham City Council, drive data integration, and establish “clearer roles and responsibilities between enforcing authorities”.
Area Commander Gemma McSweeney, head of protection for WMFRS, said: "Residents' safety is at the heart of everything we do.
“We know the impact unsafe buildings can have on residents and communities, which is why the Remediation Acceleration Plan is a vital step in making sure dangerous cladding is removed at pace.
“We remain focused on ensuring compliance and, by working closely with our partners, we can give residents greater reassurance, so they feel safe in their homes."
As reported by Inside Housing, an LRAP has also been developed for West Yorkshire, in collaboration with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and five local authorities, with 61 buildings going through the government’s remediation schemes. West Yorkshire Combined Authority added that a further 74 may require remediation work.
More information about the West Midlands Remediation Acceleration Programme can be found here.