May 2018
The final report of Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of building regulations and fire safety was published on 17th May.
Dame Judith was appointed by the government to lead the review in light of the system failures revealed by testing carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Her interim report was published in December 2017 and concluded that the existing regulatory system for high rise buildings was not fit for purpose.
The final report makes over 50 recommendations covering:
- The key parameters of a new regulatory framework
- Improving the focus on building safety during the design, construction and refurbishment phases
- Improving the focus on building safety during the occupation phase
- Giving residents a voice in the system
- Setting out demanding expectations around improved levels of competence
- Creating a more effective balance between government ownership of building standards and industry ownership of technical guidance
- Creating a more robust and transparent construction products regime
- Creating a ‘golden thread’ of information about each Higher Risk Residential Building (HRRB)
- Tackling poor procurement practices
- Ensuring continuous improvement and best practice
- Learning through membership of an international body
The government will now consider the report’s recommendations.
Publication of the report follows swiftly after the government published advice for building owners on assurance and replacing of flat entrance fire doors; and its announcement that it will fully fund the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding by councils and housing associations, estimated at £400 million. It continues to be clear that private sector landlords should not pass such remediation costs to their leaseholders.
