External Wall Remediation Funding for Residential Buildings Below 11 Metres

Following an RICS led cross-industry working group investigation into best practices when reporting and valuing tall buildings within the secured lending arena, a revised standard process has been published together with a revised EWS1 form which was updated to reflect the Government Building Safety announcement, notably the immediate withdrawal of the Consolidated Advice Note (CAN) and the publication of BSI PAS9980:2022 – Assessing the external wall fire risk in multi-occupied residential buildings. 

There is a requirement for a fire safety risk assessment of the external wall system to be conducted by a suitably qualified, and competent professional for buildings with a residential floor height above 18 metres (six storeys) and some 4/5 story buildings that have a significant element of external cladding. 

The requirements are as set out in the RICS guidance note 'Cladding for Surveyors' - https://www.rics.org/globalassets/rics-website/media/news/news--opinion/fire-safety/cladding-for-surveyors-supplementary-info-paper-1.pdf

A high fire risk building in the UK is a building that is subject to more stringent regulations and oversight due to the potential consequences of a fire. The definition of a high fire risk building depends on whether the building is in the design and construction phase or the occupation phase.
According to the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Higher-Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2023.

A high fire risk building during the design and construction phase is a building that is at least 18 metres in height or has at least seven storeys and contains at least two residential units, a care home, or a hospital. However, some buildings are excluded from this definition, such as secure residential institutions, hotels, and military barracks.

A high fire risk building during the occupation phase is a building that is at least 18 metres in height or has at least seven storeys and contains at least two residential units. This definition excludes buildings that are regulated as workplaces under the Fire Safety Order, such as care homes, hospitals, secure residential institutions, hotels, and military barracks.

There is no definitive answer to whether your building is a high fire risk, as different factors may affect the level of risk. However, you can use a fire risk assessment to evaluate the potential hazards and risks in your building and determine the appropriate measures to reduce them. A fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for all premises that the public has access to, as well as for businesses and blocks of flats.

The Building Safety Act has been approved by parliament and has received Royal Assent in April 2022, so is now law. However, the various requirements will come into effect over the next 12-18 months. All buildings in scope (HRBS) of the Act will need to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator, with registrations being expected at any time between April 2023 and October 2023. Once registered, the Accountable Person(s) or landlord must apply for a Building Assessment Certificate, a process which is expected to begin April 2024.

Building Safety Case

A Building Safety Case is the process of pulling together any information and supporting evidence used to manage the risk of fire spread and the structural safety of your building. It provides a compelling, comprehensible and valid case that a building is safe.

Building Safety Case Report

A Building Safety Case Report summarises the arguments and evidence of the safety case and documents the progress against the safety management plan. It identifies the major fire and structural hazards associated with your building and shows how any risks are being managed as far as reasonably possible to prevent a major incident.