Building Safety Hub
Supporting building and fire safety excellence in tall residential buildings in England
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The new Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 have been laid before Parliament, bring forth new legislation, which will come into force in April 2026.
The new regualtions seek to support the fire safety of “relevant residents” of specified
residential buildings. These are residents whose only or principal residence is the
domestic premises in which they reside, and whose ability to evacuate the building
without assistance in the event of a fire is compromised as a result of a cognitive or
physical impairment or condition. The regualtions apply to high-rise residential
buildings (these are residential buildings that are at least 18 metres above ground level
or have at least seven storeys) and residential buildings over 11 metres in height that
have simultaneous evacuation strategies in place.To access the regualtion as laid CLICK HERE
- Fire Safety
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New fire safety rules are coming into force to support disabled and vulnerable residents in high-rise buildings. From 6th April 2026, the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 will require Responsible Persons to identify residents who may need help evacuating in a fire and to take steps to support them. These residents, referred to as relevant residents, may have mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments.
The Regulations introduce Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs), which include:
- Identifying relevant residents
- A person-centred fire risk assessment
- An agreed emergency evacuation statement
- Optional consent-based sharing of information with the local Fire and Rescue Authority
- Ongoing review of plans and evacuation procedures
These duties are legally enforceable and apply to residential buildings over 18 metres or seven storeys, or 11 metres and above with a simultaneous evacuation strategy.
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Delays to high-rise developments could ease soon following a government announcement today (Monday 30 June 2025), on the future of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
A new arm’s length body to MHCLG is being established with plans for it to assume the functions of the BSR from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in due course.
The new reforms include the introduction of a Fast Track Process, leadership changes, and additional investment - aim to support the delivery of 1.5 million safe, high-quality homes. They also mark early steps toward the creation of a single construction regulator - a key recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
The new organisational structure reinforces the government’s commitment to prioritising building safety and builds on the strong foundation laid by the HSE in establishing the BSR, which has played a pivotal role in raising safety standards across the sector.
Andy Roe KFSM, has been appointed as non-executive Chair of the new MHCLG board, which will lead this work as part of the regulator’s transition.
Andrew Bulmer, CEO of The Property Institute, commented:
“TPI has received notice from Philip White, the Building Safety Regulator, that the BSR functions are to be transferred from the Health and Safety Executive to MHCLG itself, promising resources to tackle delays.
The implications of this are yet to be fully understood. More resource to handle cases would certainly be welcome, and the statement suggests that this will happen, as well as an intention to change some of the processes and/or approach to casework – we will see in due course.
The announcement suggests this is the natural next step now the BSR has been established and cautions that nothing much will happen for the next few months. A question then is whether the transfer of functions will simply bring in a new resource to make the boat go faster, or change the philosophical approach around safety, which will mean our profession and the specialists that support it will need to adjust what they do. We are asking these questions and will keep you posted.”
To read the full announcement, CLICK HERE
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Following the initial statement issued on 18 October 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has carefully considered the views expressed by the Tribunal in the First-Tier Tribunal decision dated 03 July 2024.
The department recognises the need for greater clarity within the legislation. We are consulting the Building Safety Regulator and other relevant stakeholders on a proposal to amend the Higher-Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2023.The aim is to clarify that roof gardens are not considered storeys when determining whether a building is a higher-risk building under section 120D of the Building Act 1984 and section 65 of the Building Safety Act 2022.
In the meantime, the department’s view remains that roof gardens are not storeys for these purposes. This is the basis for current government guidance, which the sector and regulatory bodies should continue to refer to.Click here to check the criteria for higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act.
- Building Safety Act
- Legislation, Regulations & Guidance
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Today, Thursday 24 April, UK Finance has published an update to the current lender statement on cladding. This update covers:
- Reliance in the mortgage journey on EWS1 forms more than five years old; and
- The scenario of an EWS1 form in the mortgage journey by an invalid signatory
Leaseholders and prospective buyers will now have more clarity on purchasing homes with building safety issues, following a key update from mortgage lenders and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) regarding EWS1 forms.
To read the UK Finance lender statement update in full CLICK HERE