Housing secretary has threatened to use legal powers on those who don’t ink contract

Avant Homes has become the latest housebuilder to sign the government’s contract to fix historic safety defects in tower blocks 11m and over.

Its decision means 49 firms have now signed the contract, which covers buildings going back 30 years, meaning only Abbey Developments, Dandara and Rydon Homes have yet to put pen to paper.

Abbey Developments has so far not commented while a spokesperson for Dandara has previously said it wants to sign the contract “as soon as possible”.

avant

Avant’s decision leaves just three left to sign the cladding pledge

But Rydon Homes, which reported turnover of £19.2m in its most recent accounts, said it believed it was an SME so did not fall under the remit of the contract.

Housing secretary Michael Gove has effectively threatened to put housebuilders out of business using new legal powers in the Building Safety Act if they do not sign. Earlier this spring, he named 11 firms in the House of Commons who had not yet signed by a government deadline of 13 March.

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