Jan

Landlords face clampdown over fire safety standards following Grenfell, warns Housing Minister

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Speaking in Parliament today, Esther McVey confirmed that landlords face tougher enforcement as she set out the governments’ latest response to the tragedy.

The Government has vowed to hold
private landlords to account when enforcing new fire safety regulations.

“At the end of the day, homes need to
be safe and people need to sleep safely at night,” Housing Minister Esther
McVey told MPs at a Commons debate.

“Enforcement is key and we will be
holding landlords to account to ensure this.”

The Government has announced
the introduction of a Fire Safety Bill to implement recommendations from the
Grenfell Phase 1 Report and “put beyond doubt that the Fire Safety Order will
require building owners and managers of multi-occupied residential premises of
any height to fully consider and mitigate the risks of any external wall
systems and fire doors”.

A Building Safety
Bill was also announced in the Queen’s Speech, to “put in place new and
enhanced regulatory regimes for building safety and construction products, and
ensure residents have a stronger voice in the system”.

Neither Bill has
been revealed, but the Government said this week that the Fire Safety Bill
would be published ‘very shortly’.

Other
new safety moves announced include the establishment of a new building safety
regulator, likely proposals to change sprinkler requirements, and updated and
consolidated advice for building owners.

The new set of guidance covers issues
such as the general approach owners should be taking with regard to fire risk, as
well as specific advice on Grenfell-like cladding, High Pressure Laminate
panels, balconies and ensuring all fire escapes are clear.

The government has said building owners who had not taken action to make their buildings safe will be named from next month. In the week that phase two of the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry opened, Esther McVey told MPs: “It’s never been the case that because a building is below 18m the owners are exempt from ensuring the safety of residents – we expect owners to act responsibly.”

She added that it was considering lowering the height for buildings needing sprinkler systems and would set out altered proposals on this in the full technical review of fire guidance due out in February.

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