On 21 November 2020, the Government announced, that the EWS1 Form, which is required to provide evidence as to the suitability and fire safety of cladding on blocks of flats, will not apply to properties, which do not have cladding on the external surfaces.
Without this clarity, there was the opinion, that EWS1 Forms related to buildings without cladding also; and this had resulted in a significant backlog in relation to preparation of EWS1 surveys, and in turn, restricted a number of individuals from selling their properties while they were awaiting a form to be prepared.
By providing this clarification, the government suggests that approximately 450,000 flat owners, will now have confirmation that their property is not subject to the requirements of EWS1, and will be free to sell their properties. This also means, that there will be sufficient services, for those who actually do require the EWS1, to be able to obtain their certificate within a reasonable period of time.
The Government has also indicated that it is their intention to train up to 700,000 new assessors, in order to ensure, that the process of certifying each property is undertaken swiftly.
This will hopefully provide some relief to those individuals who have presently been prevented from selling a property, or from re-mortgaging, as a result of an absence of these forms.
If you have any further queries in relation to the EWS1 Forms and cladding fire safety, then please do not hesitate to contact Lorraine Lancaster by email [email protected] or telephone 01702 662963 / 020 35537115/ 01277 889193 / 01268 855679
This article does not necessarily deal with every important topic or cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals. It is not designed to provide legal or other advice. If you require specialist advice on this topic, please contact us to discuss how we may assist you.
