27th January 2022
The government has today announced an additional £27 million fund to pay for the costs of installing an alarm system in buildings to replace Waking Watch.
The £27 million funding will pay for the installation of fire alarm systems in buildings of all heights, rather than just being limited to those over 18 metres.
The additional funding goes beyond the existing £35 million Waking Watch Relief Fund, and will help replace the expensive 24-hour fire patrol and encourage the installation of fire alarms.
Applications to the fund opened on 27 January 2022. The application period will close at 23:59 on 28 March 2022.
To be eligible for the funding:
- the building must be located in England
- the building must be a residential building
- the building must have a Waking Watch in place where the costs have been passed on to leaseholders
Social sector buildings where the Registered Provider can evidence that waking watch costs have been passed to leaseholders and the costs of installing an alarm will fall on leaseholders will also be eligible.
Minister of State for Building Safety and Fire, Lord Greenhalgh said:
It’s unacceptable that innocent leaseholders are still facing fire risks in their own homes, let alone being subjected to the disgraceful misuse of rip-off measures at the hands of their building owners.
The extra funding being made available today will be a huge relief to many being forced to pay unnecessary costs.
However, fire alarms and Waking Watch are not long-term solutions. Industry must take responsibility and pay to fix their dangerous mistakes, and we are actively pursuing developers and manufacturers at fault to bring this scandal to an end.
A National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) spokesperson said:
NFCC welcomes the extension of the Waking Watch Fund to help leaseholders who have faced significant financial pressures.
Installing a common fire alarm system is a timely and cost-effective temporary measure that reduces dependence on waking watches.
Further information:
