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A significant proportion of social housing buildings identified with life-critical fire safety defects may not see remediation work begin for more than ten years, according to the latest quarterly survey published today by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
The survey covers 17,391 social housing buildings that have undergone fire-risk assessment. While nearly all (99.9%) of these buildings have received assessments, life-critical fire safety defects relating to the external wall systems have been found in 1,897 cases (10.9%). This represents a slight decrease compared with 1,920 cases in the previous quarter.
The RSH report highlights that in a notable subset of these buildings remediation work will be substantially delayed. A total of 285 buildings (15%) with identified safety defects are forecast to have remediation commencement dates beyond 1 April 2035, or they currently lack a defined start date. By contrast:
399 buildings (22.1%) have remediation work underway,
345 (18.2%) are scheduled to begin work by 30 September this year, and
842 (46.2%) are due to start within five years.
On the basis of current project timelines, 1,506 buildings (77.2%) are expected to complete fire safety works within the next decade, while 344 buildings (18.1%) will take more than ten years to conclude those works.
Regulator Emphasises Interim Measures Including Temporary Fire Alarm Systems
Will Perry, Director of Strategy at the RSH, underscored the importance of landlords moving expeditiously to address fire safety risks:
“Boards and councillors have a responsibility to keep their tenants safe and remediate their buildings. We expect all landlords to take this responsibility with the utmost seriousness.”
He stressed continuing progress on permanent fire safety solutions, as well as the deployment of necessary interim measures where remediation is delayed.
One such interim measure, recognised in UK fire safety practice and reflected in guidance associated with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), is the installation of temporary automatic fire detection and alarm systems designed in accordance with recognised standards (such as BS 5839-Part 1 Category L5) to support early warning and evacuation management while defects are being rectified. apollo-fire.co.uk+1
Under NFCC’s simultaneous evacuation guidance, placing a common fire detection and alarm system across a building—particularly where a change to a simultaneous evacuation strategy has been introduced due to an identified fire safety defect—provides a more reliable and cost-effective means of early fire detection and occupant warning than relying solely on passive measures or waking watch patrols. assets.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk
This temporary alarm system should be designed, installed, commissioned and maintained by competent personnel in line with best practice, and includes heat and smoke detectors positioned based on risk assessment so that early fire development is rapidly identified and communicated to residents and evacuation teams. Scribd
NFCC Guidance on Alarm Systems Strengthens Interim Protective Layer
NFCC guidance reflects that where remediation works—such as external wall system replacement—are expected to take longer than 12 months, a temporary or common fire alarm system is strongly recommended over or in addition to a waking watch. This approach supports early detection of fire and rapid occupant alerting, which are critical to safe evacuation under a simultaneous evacuation regime. apollo-fire.co.uk
Regulator’s Broader Oversight
The RSH report also reiterates that quarterly surveys are only one part of how fire safety is monitored. The regulator continues to assess how landlords ensure health and safety through proactive inspections and other regulatory engagements, and confirms it will take action if tenant safety is found to be at unacceptable risk.
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