Scotland’s response to the cladding crisis is being slowed by a shortage of trained fire safety experts. More than 1,000 claims have been made to the Cladding Remediation Programme, but only 16 Single Building Assessments have been completed so far—leaving many high-rise buildings at risk.

Unlike England, where centralised measures drive compliance, Scotland relies on local authorities for building standards verification. This should mean faster approvals, but only if there’s enough technical expertise available. As Dr Benjamin Ralph, Head of Building Safety and Fire, warns: “The focus must be on turning assessment into action. That means scalable strategies, standardisation where possible, and sharing best practice across industry and authorities.”

Key facts:

• Over £24 million in funding has been offered for assessments, but progress remains slow.
• Half of claims come from property managers, with almost half from social landlords.
• Many claims are deemed ineligible, and hundreds are still awaiting assessment.
• The shortage of qualified fire engineers is hampering remediation efforts, with university training courses closing and fewer experts available.

Experts agree: Scotland needs more skilled fire safety professionals, scalable strategies, and industry-wide collaboration to protect residents and accelerate remediation.

Read the full article for deeper insights into the challenges and solutions facing Scotland’s cladding crisis.