Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (): In my statement on
17 December 2025(opens in a new
tab), I emphasised Government's commitment to addressing all
58 recommendations made by the Grenfell Inquiry following the
Phase 2 Report and noted that we have taken several significant
steps already to build a more robust and trusted regulatory
system and deliver safe, quality homes for everyone.
In February last year, this Government committed to put Approved
Document B, the statutory fire safety guidance accompanying the
Building Regulations, under continuous review. Today, the
Building Safety Regulator has launched a consultation on further
proposed updates to Approved Document B. The consultation will
seek views on: a provision for evacuation lifts in residential
buildings above 18m in height; consideration of whether alarm
coverage or sprinklers are provided in specialised housing;
disapplication of Approved Document B for structures taller than
11m made from combustible material in structural elements;
revision of guidance on fire spread across external walls and
balconies; updated roof provisions including photovoltaic panel
placement to support safe implementation of the Future Homes
Standard; fire resistance in car parks; small technical
clarifications and consideration of the Grenfell Inquiry
recommendation on BS9414 ‘Fire performance of external cladding
systems'.
These proposals represent an important step in supporting
inclusive design, safe evacuation strategies and robust fire
safety standards across the built environment. The consultation
has been published on the Citizen Space website [Activity Unavailable - Health
and Safety Executive - Citizen Space(opens in a new tab)] and
will remain open until Wednesday 17 June 2026.
