James Brokenshire, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, announced today at the Conservative Party Conference 2018 that combustible materials will be banned from the facades of “all new high-rise residential buildings, hospitals, registered care homes, and student accommodations” over 18 meters.
This decision comes after the UK government carried out a consultation on “Banning the use of combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings”. In its response to this consultation, Fire Safe Europe (FSEU) stated that the facades of any building where escape and firefighting may be compromised by additional fire risks, regardless of height, should be made of non-combustible construction materials (euroclass A1/A2).
Many European countries already have laws to ensure only non-combustible products can be used on high-rise and high-risks buildings’ façades. It is a great step for the UK to follow suit and ensure that UK citizens are at least as safe in their buildings as those in other countries within Europe.
Juliette Albiac, Managing Director of Fire Safe Europe (FSEU) said “The UK is rightfully taking steps to ensure the safety of people in new high-rise and high-risk buildings. This is a great moment for fire safety all across Europe, as several countries have been revising their building regulations in the past year. We hope that the countries which have not yet adopted such requirements will soon follow suit”
More information
UK government announces new housing measures
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