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EWS1 Confusion: Why MHCLG’s Fast-Track Plans Miss the Point
On next Friday’s Cladding Matters at 1pm, we’ll be looking at a story shared by journalist Vicky Spratt, one that perfectly sums up the ongoing confusion around EWS1 forms.
Vicky posted that a mortgage lender had pulled out of the sale of a two-bedroom flat in her block because there was no EWS1. The twist is that the building is under 11 metres high and has no cladding. Despite clear guidance from RICS and the government that low-rise, no-cladding blocks do not need an EWS1, lenders are still refusing to lend without one.
It is another reminder of how far the gap has grown between government policy, lender caution, and real-world experience. On paper, the system should work. In practice, too many perfectly safe homes are being treated as though they pose a serious fire risk simply because of outdated lending policies.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is pressing ahead with its new consultation, promising to speed up the buying process. The plan is to cut transaction times by about four weeks through more up-front information and the use of digital property packs. The idea sounds simple enough, but it misses a crucial point. When lenders are still blocking sales for reasons like missing EWS1 forms on safe, low-rise buildings, no amount of digital innovation will make the process faster.
If anything, it risks creating another layer of paperwork. Buyers and sellers will be told to share more information earlier, yet the transaction will still grind to a halt the moment a valuer insists on an EWS1 that the building never needed in the first place.
The real issue here isn’t efficiency or technology, it’s about getting some consistency and clarity into the system. If the government truly wants to make homebuying faster, it needs to ensure lenders, valuers, and insurers all follow the same rules. A block under 11 metres with no cladding should not need an EWS1, and that position needs to be enforced across the industry.
Until then, the government’s attempts to speed things up will continue to miss the point. We don’t need another consultation. We need joined-up thinking.
We’ll be exploring this issue in more depth on Cladding Matters next Friday at 1pm, with Gareth Wax in the chair, Stephen Day from Royal Artillery Quays, Zahrah Aullybocus from NEXA Law, and myself, Hamish McLay.
Watch live or catch up later on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
PS:
For content enquiries:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For podcast/media info:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Vicky posted that a mortgage lender had pulled out of the sale of a two-bedroom flat in her block because there was no EWS1. The twist is that the building is under 11 metres high and has no cladding. Despite clear guidance from RICS and the government that low-rise, no-cladding blocks do not need an EWS1, lenders are still refusing to lend without one.
It is another reminder of how far the gap has grown between government policy, lender caution, and real-world experience. On paper, the system should work. In practice, too many perfectly safe homes are being treated as though they pose a serious fire risk simply because of outdated lending policies.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is pressing ahead with its new consultation, promising to speed up the buying process. The plan is to cut transaction times by about four weeks through more up-front information and the use of digital property packs. The idea sounds simple enough, but it misses a crucial point. When lenders are still blocking sales for reasons like missing EWS1 forms on safe, low-rise buildings, no amount of digital innovation will make the process faster.
If anything, it risks creating another layer of paperwork. Buyers and sellers will be told to share more information earlier, yet the transaction will still grind to a halt the moment a valuer insists on an EWS1 that the building never needed in the first place.
The real issue here isn’t efficiency or technology, it’s about getting some consistency and clarity into the system. If the government truly wants to make homebuying faster, it needs to ensure lenders, valuers, and insurers all follow the same rules. A block under 11 metres with no cladding should not need an EWS1, and that position needs to be enforced across the industry.
Until then, the government’s attempts to speed things up will continue to miss the point. We don’t need another consultation. We need joined-up thinking.
We’ll be exploring this issue in more depth on Cladding Matters next Friday at 1pm, with Gareth Wax in the chair, Stephen Day from Royal Artillery Quays, Zahrah Aullybocus from NEXA Law, and myself, Hamish McLay.
Watch live or catch up later on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
PS:
For content enquiries:
For podcast/media info:
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