Under 11 Metres: New Remediation Funding Explained

If you manage or own a lower-rise residential building, you'll know the frustration well: cladding concerns don't disappear just because a block falls under 11 metres. You've watched taller buildings access Cladding Safety Scheme funding and get support while your own building sat just outside the rules. Having the same worry, but no clear route forward.

That's finally changing. It has now been confirmed by Homes England that buildings under 11 metres in England will be able to access funding through the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS).

This update removes the height threshold for buildings under 11 metres where a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) identifies a serious, life-critical cladding fire safety risk. For the many lower-rise blocks that have been stuck in limbo (aware of a potential issue, but without a funded way to address it), this is a welcome development.

So if you're an RTM or RMC director, a freeholder, or a property or block manager responsible for a building like this, we wanted to walk you through exactly what's changing, when applications open, and what's worth doing between now and then.

Who's eligible for cladding safety scheme funding under 11 metres?

Multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres (both privately owned and social housing) can now apply for CSS funding, provided a PAS 9980-compliant FRAEW identifies unsafe cladding presenting a serious risk to life from fire spread.

While the government's position remains that buildings under 11 metres are, on the whole, less likely to have a widespread cladding fire safety risk. This isn't a blanket fund for every low-rise block. Rather, it's a targeted route to funding for buildings where a proper technical assessment shows the risk is real and needs addressing urgently. Funding will be prioritised according to that risk, with buildings assessed as high risk taken forward first, no matter their height.

When do applications open for the cladding safety scheme?

Here are the practical details you need to know:

• 6-week lead-in period, running now, before applications open

• Applications open: 17 August 2026

• Application window: 8 weeks, closing mid-October 2026

How applications will be assessed, and why your FRAEW timing matters

For buildings assessed as high risk, valid applications are taken forward in the order they're received. Every application is date and time stamped at submission, and that stamp determines where a building sits in the funding pipeline.

Here's the part that catches people out: you cannot submit an application without a FRAEW (Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls) already completed, and (where available) a Fire Risk Assessment alongside it. A FRAEW is not something that can be commissioned and turned around overnight. Between instructing a suitably qualified assessor, arranging site access, and receiving the completed report, this process typically takes several weeks. See our guide on what this assessment involves here.

Which means that if you wait until 17 August to start thinking about a FRAEW, you're not just late to apply, you're starting the eligibility process from scratch while buildings that prepared during the lead-in period are already submitting on day one.

Why the lead-in period is the moment to act

There's no way to reserve a place in the queue. But there is a clear, practical way to be ready the moment the window opens: use the next six weeks to get your FRAEW commissioned, so your application can go in promptly and accurately once applications open.

Applications must come from the responsible entity: the freeholder, RTM/RMC, or their authorised representative (e.g managing agent). Leaseholders and residents cannot apply directly, though where a responsible entity isn't engaging, residents do have a route to flag a building to Homes England directly via the government's "Tell Us" tool.

Homes England will also expect responsible entities to confirm they've explored other routes first (insurance claims, developer contributions, warranty schemes) before funding is confirmed. Meeting the eligibility criteria doesn't guarantee funding; decisions remain subject to prioritisation and the availability of funds. All the more reason to have a well-prepared, technically sound application ready to go from day one, rather than assembling one under time pressure once the window is already open.

What we suggest doing now

For RTM and RMC directors, freeholders, and property or block managers with a building that may be affected, the practical next steps over the coming weeks are as follows:

1. Establish whether a FRAEW is needed. If your building doesn't already have one, or the existing assessment predates PAS 9980, this is your starting point.

2. Instruct a suitably qualified assessor now, so the report is in hand well ahead of 17 August.

3. Gather supporting information: building details, any existing fire risk assessment, and documentation on tenure, so the application itself can move quickly once the window opens.

4. Check whether other funding routes need to be explored or ruled out first, as Homes England will ask.

How Archway FM can help

Acting as Client Representative, Archway FM oversees the FRAEW and survey process, managing the full the CSS funding applications from eligibility through to funding drawdown. Your remediation project will be carried out by our trusted construction partners, and with our director-led model, you'll have a single accountable point of contact throughout, never being passed from team to team. To learn more about exactly what we offer clients, click here.

We've secured £120m+ in Cladding Safety Scheme funding to date, with a 100% success rate on eligible applications, and we even cover all initial project costs while funding approval is underway, so preparation doesn't come at your building's expense.

If you manage or own a building under 11 metres and you're not yet sure whether it's affected, the six weeks between now and 17 August is when you need to find out.

We're happy to talk it through, however early-stage your questions are. Get in touch with our director for a straightforward conversation about whether your building may be eligible and what preparing a FRAEW now would involve.

Just contact us at info@archwayfm.com, or fill out our enquiry form.