With nearly 300 buildings affected by cladding and fire safety issues in Tower Hamlets (Advertiser, March 18), we urgently need a borough-wide cladding and fire safety taskforce to support affected leaseholders.
No one can forget the Grenfell tragedy, which resulted in the loss of 72 lives and the lifetime emotional impact on the families affected, including those who survived.
Although the government banned the use of all combustible materials on the walls of new high rises in November 2018, it did not legislate for building owners to take action or provide sufficient compensation funds to cover all situations.
The Liberal Democrats first introduced an amendment in the House of Commons to protect tenants and leaseholders from these costs, which was voted down by the Conservatives.
The Lib Dems again attempted to provide redress for tenants affected by the fire safety scandal, but there was a massive blow as MPs again voted not to protect leaseholders from huge bills for the fifth time through a vote of 320 to 256.
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