New building safety law could make flats unsellable, warn lendersBuilding safety reforms risk “suppressing the appetite” of mortgage lenders to offer loans on flats, making properties effectively unsellable to most buyers, a committee has heard. John Marr, from UK Finance – which represents the banking industry – expressed concerns about unintended consequences of the Welsh Government’s building safety bill. “Lenders would also need to understand the affordability consequences of obligations on borrowers… some of which might fall to individuals rather than collectively. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the national voice of Wales’ 22 councils, described plans to designate councils as building safety authorities as unrealistic. While supportive of the bill’s overarching aims, the WLGA pointed to funding pressures, workforce capacity challenges and limited technical expertise.