The government’s building remediation process ‘should have started some time ago’, according to a leading trade association.

Earlier this month, housing secretary Michael Gove announced plans to force developers to pay for remediation costs of unsafe cladding across the UK.

David O’Leary, policy director of the Home Builders Federation, said the picture of how many buildings will need remediation work is still unclear.

“We’re still very unsighted on how many buildings do need remediation, even after all of this time.

“We’re very much at the outset of a process that I think we wish we’d have started some time ago.”