Shake-up for building law as 82 towers fail fire tests
AN INDEPENDENT review of building regulations will be carried out after the Grenfell tragedy exposed fire safety risks in tower blocks across the country.
The probe was announced as it emerged that 82 tower blocks have been judged unsafe after failing new fire safety checks.
At least 80 people died as the inferno swept through the 24-floor tower block in West London last month. The combination of cheap combustible cladding and insulation has been blamed for the deadly spread of the blaze.
On Thursday, police announced that they have found grounds to consider corporate manslaughter charges over Grenfell.
The 82 tower blocks failed the new tests which checked the fire safety of the materials in conjunction with each other.
The review will be led by Dame Judith Hackitt and will examine the regulation of the design, construction and management of buildings in terms of fire safety.
It will look at current building regulations and fire safety, with a particular focus on high-rise tower blocks, said the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The inquiry will also look at how the rest of the world handles fire safety issues in similar buildings.
Yesterday Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: ‘It’s clear we need to urgently look at building regulations and fire safety.
‘ This independent review will ensure we can swiftly make any necessary improvements.
‘The Government is determined that we learn the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire, and to ensure nothing like it can happen again.’
New ‘whole system’ tests were introduced after hundreds of cladding samples failed flammability tests in recent months.
Nine blocks in Salford are among those which failed the latest tests. They are having their cladding removed and replaced, the city council has said.
Experts have previously voiced concerns that building regulations are unclear on combustible cladding, which has allowed their use by contractors.
Immediate action is already underway to ensure the safety of residents in these buildings, the Government said. Dame Judith said she was ‘honoured’ to be asked to lead the review and aims to publish a final report by next spring.
Chairman of the Health and Safety Executive from 2007 to 2016, she was made a Dame in the New Year Honours for services to health and safety and engineering.
‘This review will look at building regulations and fire safety to see what changes can be made to make these more effective,’ she said. It is expected that any fire- proofing measures required in tower blocks will be funded by their owners, not the Government.
But Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: ‘While councils are getting on with doing what they need to do, significant concerns remain about the financial implications.
‘The Government needs to commit to meeting exceptional costs for councils arising from major remedial work, such as the removal and replacement of cladding system.’
The inquiry will consult the Buildings Regulations Advisory Committee, which advises the Government on regulatory issues, the public, MPs and the construction, housing and fire sectors.