Overview

Hosted by Matt Hodges-Long, the session explored how housing policy is shaped in Parliament, the continuing impact of Grenfell, and the practical challenges facing residents, leaseholders, developers and those responsible for building safety.

Unlike previous technical Lunch & Learn sessions, this webinar took a conversational format, giving attendees insight into both the political process and current direction of the housing and building safety debate.
Gideon Amos discussed his professional background in architecture, town planning and infrastructure, before reflecting on his role as an MP and housing spokesperson.

The conversation then turned to the post-Grenfell building safety landscape, including the pace of remediation, the position of excluded leaseholders, the complexity of regulation, and the tension between building safety requirements and the Government’s new homes targets.

Details

1. How housing policy is shaped in Parliament

Gideon Amos outlined how opposition parties influence housing policy through parliamentary questions, debates, amendments and work with peers in the House of Lords.

He explained that while opposition parties do not control the legislative agenda, they can still secure changes through scrutiny, negotiation and pressure during the passage of Bills.

2. Grenfell remains central to the building safety debate

The session reflected on the fact that, nearly nine years after the Grenfell tragedy, many residents are still living with unresolved building safety issues.

Gideon described Grenfell as a failure of systems that should have protected residents, and highlighted the importance of accountability, justice and visible consequences where wrongdoing is established.

3. Remediation is still not moving quickly enough

A significant part of the discussion focused on the pace and scope of remediation.

Gideon acknowledged that the current system is not working well enough for many residents and leaseholders, particularly those in buildings below 18 metres or outside existing protection schemes.

The discussion also covered concerns around the use of PAS 9980 and the risk of remediation leaving some combustible materials in place where they are considered tolerable under the current framework.

4. Excluded leaseholders remain a major concern

The webinar addressed the position of leaseholders who fall outside existing protections, including those in sub-11 metre buildings, shared freehold arrangements and certain buy-to-let ownership structures.

Gideon stated that more support is needed for people who have been left outside the current framework through no fault of their own.

He also discussed potential ways to expand remediation funding, including broader industry contributions and further contributions from product manufacturers.

5. Residents need better visibility during remediation

The session explored how residents can achieve greater transparency during remediation works.

Gideon encouraged residents to engage their local councillors and MPs where communication is poor or where remediation work is affecting quality of life.

Matt also highlighted that, in some cases, residents may be able to appoint professional representation at the developer’s cost under remediation contract arrangements.

6. Building safety regulation is becoming increasingly complex

Matt raised the growing complexity of the Building Safety Act and its related legislation, noting the challenge for regulated organisations trying to understand their full responsibilities.

Gideon agreed that duplication, overlapping standards and a large volume of guidance can make compliance difficult, and suggested that simplification of the regime should be considered.

7. New homes targets must be balanced with safety and viability

The discussion also explored the Government’s target to deliver 1.5 million new homes and the practical constraints that may affect delivery.

Gideon noted that viability challenges are not caused by building safety regulation alone, pointing also to labour shortages, material costs and land availability.

He emphasised the importance of social and affordable housing as a key area for delivery.

8. Leasehold reform and building safety must both remain priorities

The session also touched on leasehold reform and whether it could distract from building safety.

Gideon described leasehold reform and building safety as separate policy areas, while acknowledging there may be overlap for some residents going through remediation and enfranchisement at the same time.

Summary

This Lunch & Learn provided a valuable opportunity to hear directly from Gideon Amos MP on the policy, parliamentary and practical challenges shaping the future of building safety.

The discussion reinforced that remediation remains unresolved for many residents, particularly those outside existing protection schemes, and that accountability, transparency and simplification remain central issues.

As the sector waits for further clarity on future remediation legislation and the next parliamentary agenda, the message was clear: building safety must remain a priority while the country also works to deliver the homes it urgently needs.

Next Steps

During the session, Gideon Amos MP encouraged attendees to continue feeding practical building safety and remediation concerns into the discussion.

Attendees with broader policy questions, remediation challenges or observations from the sector are encouraged to send them to Matt Hodges-Long, who will collate feedback and pass relevant themes and issues on directly.

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn