Gove battles Italian count over cladding costs

Michael Gove is locked in a battle over cladding with a secretive Italian businessman who owns more land than the King. Count Luca Padulli has been accused by the levelling up secretary of avoiding liability for millions of pounds of work to make residential blocks that he owns safe from fire. Padulli controls the freehold to 100,000 properties through his company Wallace Estates, as well as 29,000 acres of farmland. But he has been selling the freeholds on to a separate company registered in Wyoming in what the government believes could be an attempt to shirk responsibilities to pay for upgrades. Last month, Gove began legal action against Wallace in respect of four of its buildings, but officials fear the company will sell off others to avoid paying for the remedial work. Wallace Partnership Group said it was “in an active dialogue” with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The Times (£)