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‘No huge changes’ to building regulations expected from Hackitt Review
Dame Judith Hackitt’s post-Grenfell independent review of building regulations will see “no huge, fundamental changes”, a group involved in the process has predicted.
The review will instead result in “tweaks and small changes”, Ian Moore, chief executive of the Fire Industry Association (FIA) told Inside Housing.
The FIA is represented on four of the six working groups considering how to develop new building regulations for fire safety.
Mr Moore said: “It’s basically tweaks and small changes but also people adhering to what their responsibilities are. I don’t think you’ll see huge changes in everything to do with building regulations.
“It’s about understanding whose responsibility it is to take on the particular roles that were already laid out, mostly. So I think when the report does come out it will be more a case of responsibilities and competency than anything else.”
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Mr Moore predicted that the Hackitt Review would probably not recommend an outright ban on the use of combustible materials on tower blocks, something that Clive Betts, the chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee has called for it to consider.
Grenfell survivors have also called for a ban through their lawyer at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Jon O’Neill, chief executive of the Fire Protection Association, which sits on two working groups, disagreed with Mr Moore’s assessment, telling Inside Housing: “There were discussions about how stuff is approved in the future and how stuff is tested, and I would expect big changes on both of those.”
A source close to the review told Inside Housing Dame Judith is also considering a recommendation to introduce a “dutyholder”, who would have ultimate responsibility for fire safety in a building.
Fire safety experts have already reported significant confusion about who is responsible for fire safety in buildings, with fire services struggling to identify who the ‘responsible person’ required in law is for buildings where there is a freeholder, owner and property manager.
Dame Judith’s review was set up in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster which claimed 72 lives when flames ripped through the building in June.
It was set up to identify weaknesses in the UK’s system of building regulations and recommend improvements.
A spokesperson for Dame Judith Hackitt said: “Dame Judith Hackitt’s review will assess the effectiveness of current building and fire safety regulations. Dame Judith will now consider the advice from the working groups and we expect her final report to be published this spring.”
The Hackitt Review
Photo: Tom Pilston/Eyevine
Dame Judith Hackitt’s (above) interim report on building safety, released in December 2017, was scathing about some of the industry’s practices.
Although the full report is not due to be published until later this year, the former Health and Safety Executive chair has already highlighted a culture of cost-cutting and is likely to call for a radical overhaul of current regulations in an interim report.
Dame Hackitt’s key recommendations and conclusions include:
- A call for the simplification of building regulations and guidelines to prevent misapplication
- Clarification of roles and responsibilities in the construction industry
- Giving those who commission, design and construct buildings primary responsibility that they are fit for purpose
- Greater scope for residents to raise concerns
- A formal accreditation system for anyone involved in fire prevention on high-rise blocks
- A stronger enforcement regime backed up with powerful sanctions
The Paper Trail: The Failure of Building Regulations
Read our in-depth investigation into how building regulations have changed over time and how this may have contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire:
Never Again campaign
Inside Housing has launched a campaign to improve fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire
Never Again: campaign asks
Inside Housing is calling for immediate action to implement the learning from the Lakanal House fire, and a commitment to act – without delay – on learning from the Grenfell Tower tragedy as it becomes available.
LANDLORDS
- Take immediate action to check cladding and external panels on tower blocks and take prompt, appropriate action to remedy any problems
- Update risk assessments using an appropriate, qualified expert.
- Commit to renewing assessments annually and after major repair or cladding work is carried out
- Review and update evacuation policies and ‘stay put’ advice in light of risk assessments, and communicate clearly to residents
GOVERNMENT
- Provide urgent advice on the installation and upkeep of external insulation
- Update and clarify building regulations immediately – with a commitment to update if additional learning emerges at a later date from the Grenfell inquiry
- Fund the retrofitting of sprinkler systems in all tower blocks across the UK (except where there are specific structural reasons not to do so)
We will submit evidence from our research to the Grenfell public inquiry.
The inquiry should look at why opportunities to implement learning that could have prevented the fire were missed, in order to ensure similar opportunities are acted on in the future.
