Housing Forum calls for funding to help social landlords offset second staircase costs

The Housing Forum has called on the government to help social landlords mitigate the extra costs of putting second staircases in high-rise residential buildings, after the government issued long-awaited guidance clarifying how the rules will work.

The membership body, which counts 16 housing associations and more than 50 local authorities among its 150 members, welcomed the government’s publication of technical guidance on the policy last week, saying it “will allow many stalled sites to resume”.

However, Anna Clarke, director of policy and public affairs at the Housing Forum, said: “We would like to see the government do more to mitigate the costs of the second staircases particularly for the affordable housing sector.

“The additional build costs and loss of floorspace have created viability problems on some sites, and a loss of affordable housing on others. Funding is needed for the social housing sector to offset these costs.

Clarke also said the Housing Forum would like to see local planning authorities encouraged to be flexible over redesign and changes in height in order to accommodate a second staircase in all tall buildings without reducing the number of new homes provided.

The new guidance published gives details of what is required under the policy, under which second staircases must be put in residential buildings over 18 metres. The document provides detail about what is considered a second staircase and gives information about the maximum distance permitted between flat entrances and staircases.

It makes it clear evacuation lifts are not an absolute requirement.

>>See also: What the second staircase guidance means for the industry

>>See also: What the second staircase rule would mean for high-rise blocks

The second staircase policy was first announced by the government in December 2022, but the lack of information until now about the policy has led to developers halting schemes as they have been unsure about what is required. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pointed to figures showing 38,000 homes have been put on hold in the capital due to the uncertainty.

Clarke said: “The fire service has been objecting to planning applications that do not include a second staircase ever since the consultation was launched back in December 2022. In the absence of technical guidance, this has meant that many tall buildings recently have been designed to a more stringent specification than is in fact going to be required.”

The policy will come into effect on 30 September 2026, after a 30-month transitional period.

Clarke said however the forum does not expect to see many single stair buildings started in the period as they would be unlikely to get planning approval.