Helping our clients navigate new fire safety law

We have used our combined expertise to help housing providers protect their residents.

The tragedy of Grenfell Tower is something none of us will forget. So how do we prevent a similar incident?

In the years since Grenfell, regulations in this area have had a massive overhaul, leaving social housing providers with complex legislation to navigate and actions to take.

The bigger picture

Since Grenfell, there has been a significant increase in a sector-wide commitment to improving building safety. As part of this shift in attitude, a whole raft of new legislation has been created to address different issues in this area.

For example, the Building Safety Act 2022 imposes a new approach to high-risk properties during the development phase and once they are occupied. Traditionally, assessing building safety risks was siloed, with areas like gas, electric and fire risk scrutinised separately. However, this Act will mean buildings need to be assessed for safety as a whole. The Act also restricts charges for remedial works to service charge payers, either in their entirety or to limit costs charged.

Creating a workbook

What housing providers need to do as a result of this new legislation is complicated, and there is a complex roadmap they need to follow. Over the last couple of years, we have created a workbook, checklists, advice notes and flowcharts to clearly guide our clients through their obligations. These are the result of the combined expertise of our teams across the sector, particularly our regulatory team and housing management team.

Other legalisation like the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have also changed the obligations of housing providers. Some obligations only apply when certain criteria are met, such as a building is over 18 metres in height, and these are likely to change over time. We have helped our clients interpret and understand what actions they need to take now to ensure their residents’ safety and what is likely in the future.

Safety is the top priority

All our clients want to make sure they are complying with regulations and that all their properties are safe. Some are surprised when they hear that legislation still hasn’t provided the clarity or the powers that they need, but we’re here to help them get to the point they want to be, their buildings are safe, and they can do it in the most effective way possible.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, there will be follow-up actions housing providers need to take to meet the new laws in place as they come into force. We’ll be here to support our clients throughout the process and help them make vital changes moving forward.

“If we don’t get the advice right that we give to clients, someone might die. We are guiding them to make sure the vulnerable are not exposed to the type of risk that killed so many people in Grenfell Tower.”
Tim Coolican, partner, Anthony Collins