Walker Morris advises Government on £46.5m remediation contribution orders

Walker Morris has represented the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in a successful application for £46.5m in remediation contribution orders under the Building Safety Act 2022 (the Act). The orders concern public funds used to remediate fire safety defects in residential buildings in Greater Manchester. The case has been recognised as one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2026.

In Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government v Urban Splash and others, the Government sought approximately £50m in contributions towards Building Safety Fund expenditure under section 124 of the Act. The Tribunal made orders against Urban Splash Limited and four associated entities.

The application concerned remediation works at Manchester residential buildings: Burton Place, Moho Building, Chips Building, Box Works and the Three Towers development, comprising Emmeline House, Christabel and Sylvia.

The Tribunal found that the remedial schemes fell within the range of reasonable professional responses to the defects and considered that they did not have to be the cheapest conceivable solution. It imposed joint and several liability on the five respondents against which orders were made, having found no principled basis for dividing liability between them.

Martin McKeague, real estate litigation partner at Walker Morris, said: “This outcome is an important step in the Government’s efforts to recover public money spent on building safety remediation. This £46.5 million decision demonstrates that responsibility for remediation can extend beyond the original developer to the wider enterprise, where it is just and equitable to do so.”

The Walker Morris team advising the Secretary of State was led by partner Martin McKeague and directors Asia Munir and David Manda. Counsel were Kerry Bretherton KC of 39 Essex Chambers, Alexander Burrell of 4 Pump Court, Hannah Fry and Samuel Moss of 39 Essex Chambers.