Information on buildings in Scotland's Cladding Remediation Programme: EIR release

Information requested

The most recent available list of buildings in scope of Scotland's Cladding Remediation Programme, including buildings associated with Single Building Assessments, additional work assessments, remediation planning, remediation works, or completed remediation.

You also asked for each building where held:

• building name
• full address
• postcode
• local authority area
• height band or number of storeys
• number of residential units, if held
• programme/status category, for example: assessment pending, Single Building Assessment in progress, Single Building Assessment complete, additional assessment required, remediation required, remediation in progress, remediation complete
• whether the building is in scope because of cladding, other fire-safety defects, height/residential use, or another reason
• date the record was last updated

If full addresses cannot be released, please provide the most granular non-exempt version available, such as building name plus postcode sector/district, local authority area, height band and status.

Please provide the data in CSV or Excel format if possible.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested in an Excel workbook.

Whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under regulation 10(5)(a) of the EIR’s, a public authority may refuse a request for information as its release may be prejudice to international relations, defence, national security or public safety. This exception applies for part of your request, specifically the request for building name, full address, and postcode because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially public safety. The releasing of names and/or addresses of buildings into the public domain could risk wilful fire-raising, by individuals who may obtain this information and therefore presents a significant risk to public safety. This exception is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. We recognise that there is some public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in ensuring that public safety is maintained across Scotland by protecting information that may present a risk to life, if released into the public domain.

You also requested information about whether the buildings are in scope because of cladding, other fire-safety defects, height/residential use, or another reason. The buildings that have been included are either:

1. 'buildings' recorded in expressions of interest to the Cladding Remediation Programme Single Open Call that are likely to be eligible for Scottish Government funding for an SBA. The Single Open Call, invited expressions of interest to identify buildings and apply for Scottish Government funding for a Single Building Assessment (SBA). The Cladding Remediation Programme carries out initial checks on expressions of interest, which indicate whether the buildings are likely to be eligible for funding or not. Buildings can be ineligible for Scottish Government funding for an SBA for various reasons, such as a developer being expected to be responsible for assessment and remediation, or the building not meeting the criteria for an SBA to be required (for example, because they are not 11m or more in height). As more information about the buildings becomes available, decisions made about whether they are eligible for funding to have an SBA carried out or not can change.

2. ‘buildings’ that developers have reported they are taking responsibility for via the Developer Remediation Contract, which is a legally binding agreement between developers and the Scottish Government. Developers who sign are committing to i) taking responsibility to identify and assess buildings in scope that they developed or refurbished in Scotland over the 30 years ending on 1 June 2022, ii) carrying out certain remediation work as identified in a Single Building Assessment to address any risk to human life that is (directly or indirectly) created or exacerbated by the building’s external wall cladding system and iii) keeping owners and residents of these buildings informed on their progress towards their commitments.

Notes on the information provided

The information requested has been compiled from different sources and has therefore been provided in three different spreadsheets within the workbook. The same building can be present in more than one of the spreadsheets and therefore totals cannot be used as they will contain duplicates of buildings.

Since the latest data available has been provided, much of it has not yet been verified or quality assured and is therefore likely to contain inaccuracies.

‘Programme/status category’ is not held as a discrete category but information relating to it has been provided, where it is available in the different sources.

As noted in two of the spreadsheets, when the ‘status of statutory SBA based on the specification dated 21 June 2024’ is ‘SBA complete (- peer review completed), this comes from the data provider's perspective only. Once submitted to Scottish Government, the SBA reports have to undergo compliance checks by the Cladding Remediation Programme before the Programme can report them as complete.

Buildings and addresses associated with them are self-reported by developers and by applicants to the Single Open Call. As a result, they might include parts of buildings, single blocks, multiple blocks or large developments, depending on aspects such as the complexity of the structures and ownership.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

EIR 202600517109 - Information released - Annex

File type

Excel document

File size

86.8 kB