The £8m will be shared among 59 councils – making an average of about £135,000 per local authority, or substantially less than the annual pay of an average council chief executive.

“This is not a lot of money”, said housing lawyer Justin Bates on Twitter.

However, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities reckons that it will be enough to make a difference for enforcement teams.

The funding will be prioritised for those with the highest number of unsafe buildings, particularly focused in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Minister for building safety Lee Rowley said: “Building owners must get essential cladding repairs done as quickly as possible and we will be relentless in pursuing those who do not.

“We are bolstering council enforcement operations, making them better equipped to make the most of the powers they have to hold freeholders to account and prevent them from dragging their heels.

“I look forward to working with councils to ensure we keep up the pressure on freeholders so they step up to the plate.”

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