Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP, has announced ambitious steps to further reform the building safety system with the biggest changes in a generation to ensure residents are safe in their homes.

New measures include mandatory sprinkler systems and consistent wayfinding signage in all new high-rise blocks of flats over 11 metres tall.

The government’s construction expert, David Hancock, has also been appointed to review the progress of removing unsafe asbestos-containing materials (ACM) claddings from buildings.

The reforms are designed to incentivise compliance and to better enable the use of enforcement powers and sanctions, including prosecution where the rules are not followed.

The Housing Secretary will hold a roundtable with mortgage lenders to work on an agreed approach to mortgage valuations for properties in buildings under 18 metres tall, providing certainty for owners affected by vital building safety work.

Housing Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, said:

“The government is bringing about the biggest change in building safety for a generation. We have made a major step towards this by publishing our response to the Building a Safer Future consultation. This new regime will put residents’ safety at its heart, and follows the announcement of the unprecedented £1bn fund for removing unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings in the Budget.

“Building safety is a priority and the government is supporting industry in ensuring homes are safe at this difficult time.”

The measures build on recent announcements, including:

• providing £1bn in 2020/21 to support the remediation of unsafe non-ACM cladding materials on high-rise buildings. This is in addition to the £600m remediation already available of high-rise buildings with unsafe ACM cladding;
• naming building owners who have been slow to act in removing unsafe ACM cladding; and
• the introduction of the Fire Safety Bill, which will help deliver the recommendations of the Grenfell Inquiry’s Phase One report.

The government has been clear that any unsafe materials should be removed from buildings quickly. External wall systems on high-rise buildings using Class C or D HPL panels are unsafe and should be removed as they do not comply with building regulations.

There are clearly currently challenges facing the building industry by COVID-19. The work to remove unsafe cladding from buildings is critical to public safety and so remains a top priority. The government is supporting building owners, managers and residents to ensure remediation work continues where it is safe to do so. The government has also made clear that vital maintenance and repair work can continue to take place in line with public health guidance.