How will the Hackitt Review recommendations work in a devolved context?

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, it became clear that the systems of building regulations and ongoing oversight of fire safety for high rise buildings was, and is not, fit for purpose. In Wales, our regulations closely mirror those in England, with the notable exception of our recent legislation to mandate sprinkler systems in all new homes.

For this reason, we are as engaged in the recommendations laid out in Dame Judith’s Review as our English neighbours, albeit working with a different government in regards to implementing the majority of recommendations.

The systemic approach of the review in recommending a comprehensive overhaul of the processes ensuring safety in high-rise buildings of all tenure, and the renewed focus on ensuring accountability for safety is vital to preventing unsafe buildings from going undetected in future.

The proposed identification of a single responsible ‘dutyholder’ for each tall building is very welcome.

“The proposed identification of a single responsible ‘dutyholder’ for each tall building is very welcome.”

This is, along with the responsibilities placed on that person, to ensure that those managing the day-to-day safety of residents are competent and that fire safety information is easily accessible to those living within the building.

This has long been good practice and it is right that it should be contained in regulations. Most importantly, these changes would ensure that there is a clear and understandable process for residents to follow with any concerns or grievances relating to the safety of their building.

Perhaps one of the most shocking elements of the Grenfell disaster was that residents’ legitimate concerns around fire safety appear to have not been listened to and acted upon. Is there a housing professional in the country who hasn’t asked themselves if things would have been different in their own organisation?

The recommended establishment of a Joint Competent Authority to oversee all safety aspects of high-rise buildings would reduce the possibility of safety falling between relevant authorities.

However, such a new body would have to work smoothly across the UK due to the long-standing devolution of building regulations, and more recently fire safety, to Wales. One of the questions we will need to answer is how the recommendations would work in a devolved context, should the UK Government accept them.

“Such a new body would have to work smoothly across the UK.”

The nature of the Hackitt Review’s recommendations has clearly left many questions unanswered, particularly around the use of combustible materials.

The UK Government’s announcement that they will now consult on the use of these materials in England and their £400m commitment to remove combustible cladding is a positive step. In Wales, we are working closely with Welsh Government to understand the situation here.

We will now work closely with Welsh and UK Governments in reviewing and responding to Dame Judith’s recommendations to ensure that new construction, refurbishment and ongoing management of buildings benefit from a robust and safe framework of regulation and oversight.

Stuart Ropke, chief executive, Community Housing Cymru