Use of costly waking watch schemes has been widespread since Grenfell
The government has announced that the Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2023 will be extended to next March.
Up to £21.1m in additional funds will be released as part of the extension, to be spent on installation of a common alarm system to replace waking watches in all residential buildings where they are currently in place.
A waking watch is a fire safety system where staff continuously patrol a building. It is usually a temporary measure.
The £41.7m fund established in 2023 replaced a series of schemes introduced in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, in which 72 people were killed.
The £35m Waking Watch Relief Fund was focused on high-rise residential buildings where waking watches were being undertaken at cost to leaseholders, while the £27m Waking Watch Replacement Fund 2022 expanded eligibility to residential buildings of any height with a waking watch in place due to any fire safety defect.
The 2023 scheme extended financial support to more buildings and is aligned with guidance published by the National Fire Chief’s Council on buildings that change from a “stay put’ to a “simultaneous evacuation’ fire safety strategy.
Benjamin Ralph, head of building and fire safety at Hollis, said the alarm systems used to replace “costly” waking watches “must not be seen as an excuse to extend the time it takes to carry out cladding remediation services”.
“This should not be seen as a low-cost alternative to protect residents – work must still be carried out in a reasonable time frame,” he said.
He also said that, if the installation of the systems was treated as building work by the regulator, it could result in considerable delays.
“A more flexible approach to how certain works are classified under the regulations could make these interventions more practical and help to safeguard residents,” he said.
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