Agenda item

The Chair introduced the report which covers on the LGA’s building safety

related work since its last meeting.

Charles Loft, Senior Advisor informed the Board of the following key points:

·       Remediation –

o   Following the recent fire at New Providence Wharf, the interim report showed that the smoke detectors on the 8th floor communal corridor failed to operate both the Automatic Opening Vent (AOV) and the cross-corridor fire doors. The building was first identified as having ACM cladding in September 2017 and work began just after the fire to remove the cladding. In response the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) And LGA are writing jointly to building owners to remind them of their responsibilities

o   The Joint inspection Team has secured funding for another year.

o   The Fire Protection Board’s Building Risk Review program has remained on track to ensure all residential buildings over 18m will be assessed or inspected by the end of 2021.

·       Reform –

o   The Building Safety Bill was due to be published in June but had been delayed, amidst concern about how to avoid passing costs to leaseholders.

o   Fire Safety Act – an online tool that building owners would have to use to prioritise their buildings for fire risk assessments, has been delayed until October.

o   Gateway One, developers of residential buildings over 18m would need to provide a Fire Statement and the Health and Safety Executive’s Building Safety Regulator would become a statutory consultee on planning,due to commence from August.

Charles updated the Board on the following point since the report was produced:

·       The government was consulting on building safety standards for schools and planning to remove the requirement for sprinklers to be installed in all new schools.

·       The government has launched the consultation of personal emergency evacuation plans, looked at how to evacuate people that need assistance from relevant buildings.

·       The LGA is putting together a training programme for councils/councillors on their obligations as landlords, incorporating the lessons from the Grenfell fire.

Decision:

            Members of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board noted the report.