Building safety

Fire safety update: Approved Document B 2019

An updated version of Approved Document B – the government’s guidance for how to meet the requirements of Building Regulations 2010 – has been published. It includes guidance for demonstrating that new buildings meet the required standards of fire / life safety.

New government guidance has implications for new building fire safety in England and Scotland.

From a cladding perspective, the headlines in England, as introduced under the November 2018 regulatory ban, are as follows:

  • Regulatory restrictions apply to the external walls of certain buildings with sleeping accommodation over 18m. The buildings within the scope of this restriction include: hospitals, dormitories, student accommodation, sheltered housing and apartment blocks.
  • All significant external wall materials on the building types listed above must essentially be non-combustible (i.e, European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1).
  • The restrictions do not apply to hostels, hotels, boarding houses, commercial buildings, or any buildings below 18m. However, the commercial and reputation implications of using combustible cladding materials need to be carefully considered.  

The situation in Scotland is more robust. A ban on combustible cladding materials will apply to buildings with a storey height above 11m, both to domestic and non-domestic properties and comes into force on 1 October 2019.

TFT has experience of navigating this evolving situation, including the coordination of cladding safety investigations and remedial works.

Please contact Simon Young for more details.