Developers are given a 30-month grace period to implement a second staircase
Published: 25/10/2023
The Housing Secretary Michael Gove has said developers will have 30 months to take on board new building regulations guidance calling for second staircases on buildings higher than 18 metres before it comes fully into force.
When announcing “transitional arrangements” for the new rules in Parliament, he stated that the 30-month grace period will commence on the date the government formally publishes and confirms the changes to Approved Document B in building regulations and when those 30 months have passed, all applications will need to follow the new guidance. Currently, there are no details on the new guidance however Gove has stated that there will be a further announcement soon.
The statement comes after several developers have admitted putting their pipeline of schemes on hold or into redesign due to the second staircase mandate, particularly in London as Mayor Sadiq Khan said he wanted to adopt the mandate immediately for major projects.
After the government consultation which was based on plans to require a second staircase at a 30m threshold, Gove’s decision to propose the mandate on buildings above 18m in height came as a surprise to the industry. In a statement, Gove said the 18m limit mirrored the views of RIBA and the National Fire Chiefs Council and would bring England in line with Scotland and other countries.
He said that once the new regs had been brought in, projects approved under the old regulations would have 18 months for construction to get underway “in earnest”, as defined by the Building (High-Risk Buildings Procedures) Regulations 2023. Projects failing to do so would have to submit new plans under the new regime.
Harris Associates can offer a bespoke solution to enable you to comply with the latest legislation. We are experts in statutory compliance and fire safety-related matters with experienced and qualified technicians, surveyors, engineers, and project managers. We have national coverage and can help with all aspects of façade remediation from FRAEWs through to the coordination and delivery of complex façade remediation contracts.
For more information on our services, assistance, or advice on these latest developments or any related fire safety or regulatory matter please contact Shaun Harris, Tamer Duman, or Richard Stone via phone or email at shaun@harrisassociatesuk.com, tamer@harrisassociatesuk.com or richard@harrisassociatesuk.com call 0203 195 0857, 0161 615 3679 or 0121 213 6307.
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