Welsh Government will reform the system regulating fire safety in high-rise buildings.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Housing and Local Government Minister Julie James will consider new legislation to replace the current Fire Safety Order and a new building control process.
This is part of the government’s response to the Building Safety Expert Group’s Road Map, which was established to provide a ‘roadmap’ for improving fire safety in high-rise buildings following Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent report in the wake of the Grenfell disaster.
Julie James said:
“While the Hackitt report recommended that all buildings above 30 metres should be subject to a new regulatory system, I believe that the situation is different in Wales, where we have fewer buildings of that height. I am clear that the threshold will be no higher than 18 metres. We will also consider whether the new system could feasibly apply to other types of higher-risk buildings, such as those where vulnerable people sleep.
“We have a strong record of working to improve fire safety in people’s homes; we led the way in requiring sprinklers in all new and converted homes, and since responsibility for fire was devolved in 2005, the number of fires in dwellings has fallen further and faster in Wales than anywhere else in the UK.
“The Building Safety Expert Group recommendations take a pragmatic and considered response to resident safety. We are taking forward this work at pace and while a number of areas, including possible legislation, will require more in-depth analysis, I will make a definitive announcement on a proposal for buildings in scope in the autumn.
“I want to thank the group for their time and their careful consideration of a wide range of difficult issues. We will not compromise on effective delivery for the sake of ‘quick fixes’ that fail to produce a safer result for residents.