National Housing Federation calls for financial help as ministers publish consultation on post-Grenfell reforms
The National Housing Federation, which represents the UK’s housing associations, has welcomed government proposals to improve fire safety in high-rise residential towers but has warned the work required would need taxpayer cash to complete.
The government yesterday launched a consultation on its plans to reform building safety in the wake of Dame Judith Hackitt’s (pictured) Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which came out last year.
The consultation, which closes on 31 July, proposes reform on building safety and spans five broad areas, including accountability, an area that the NHF said was a positive move.
Victoria Moffett, the NHF’s Grenfell programme lead, said radical improvements to existing regulations were required.
“In particular it’s really positive to see the government adopt the recommendations for clear lines of accountability.
“Housing associations’ first priority is the safety of their residents. Over the last two years, they have been working tirelessly to replace unsafe cladding, carry out in-depth safety checks and put in place interim safety measures where necessary to ensure all buildings are safe.”
Moffett said some housing associations were already piloting the government’s key recommendations, but she said putting the new systems in place would require financial backing.
“This work to remediate buildings is essential, but it is complex and costly. The government needs to ensure the implementation of the new system is fully funded so that housing associations can ensure existing residents are safe in their homes, and continue their other essential work to tackle the housing crisis.”
The government’s consultation window for its proposals – eight weeks instead of the usual 12-week period – attracted criticism from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).
The CIH said while it welcomed proposals around the new dutyholder regime and the role of the building safety manager and proposals to put residents at the heart of the new regulatory system it warned the eight-week timeframe was too short for what was required.
“Given the many important issues [the proposals] raise and the level of technical detail covered, such a short timescale risks denying many groups, including residents, the chance to contribute in a meaningful way,” the CIH said in a statement.
“We urge the government to think again about this,” it added.
The government’s reforms include the scope of the new regime and the concept of dutyholders who have clear responsibilities throughout a building’s design, construction and occupation.
It also discusses plans for a new building safety regulator, giving residents a stronger voice and bolstering enforcement and sanctions against those who do not comply.
The specific proposals include the introduction of five dutyholder roles for buildings in scope during the design and construction phase.
The responsibilities of the client, principal designer, principal contractor, designer and contractor will all be laid out in law.
Duty holder positions
Client - Any person for whom a construction project is carried out as part of their business
Principal designer - A designer appointed by the client to control plan, manage, co-ordinate and monitor the pre-construction phase, when most design work is carried out
Principal contractor - A contractor appointed by the client to plan, manage co-ordinate and monitor the construction phase
Designer - Any person who carries on a trade, business or other undertaking in connection with which they:
i. prepare or modify a design, or
ii. arrange for, or instruct any person under their control (including, where the person is an employer, any employee) to prepare or modify a design
Contractor - Any person who in the course of furtherance of a business carries out, manages or controls construction work (eg building, altering, maintaining or demolishing a building or structure). Anyone who manages this work or directly employs or engages construction workers is a contractor.
The government is also recommending that reforms be initially applied to multi-occupied residential buildings of 18m or more, which is approximately six storeys.
It also recommends that formal enforcement powers to correct non-compliant work should start from the time a serious defect is discovered. It also says an enhanced civil penalty regime should be available under the new building safety regulatory framework to address non-compliance with building safety requirements as a potential alternative to criminal prosecution.
The consultation also lays out plans for a new building safety regulator that will have oversight of the new regulatory regime of the new regime and setting standards.
It will also be required to advise the government on changes to the scope of the regime and have oversight of work to drive increased competency of professions and trades.
Communities secretary James Brokenshire said his department wanted views on the proposals from residents, building owners, the construction industry and the fire sector.
“It is essential that we work together to restore confidence in the nation’s building safety system, so we can make residents safe, and feel safe, in their homes,” he added.
The publication of the consultation came a week before the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire in west London which claimed 72 lives.
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