The Home Office has announced there will be no limit to the size of the fine that can be handed down for breaches to fire safety regulations under changes to the Fire Safety Order
Principle Estate Management has welcomed government plans for new legislation that takes fire safety even more seriously.
The Home Office has announced there will be no limit to the size of the fine that can be handed down for breaches to fire safety regulations under changes to the Fire Safety Order.
It has also announced that the legislation will mean that anyone caught obstructing or impersonating a fire inspector will also face unlimited fines.
Brett Williams, managing director of Principle, says that the new measures were part of the government’s response to the Fire Safety Consultation, coming into force as part of legislation in the Building Safety Bill.
He explains: It’s crucial that the owners of all buildings take their responsibilities seriously, and this planned legislation shows the government’s commitment to this.
These measures will amend the Fire Safety Order and will include a requirement for fire risk assessments to be recorded for each building and improve how fire safety information is handed over throughout the lifetime of a building, he said.
Principle welcomes these reforms which follow a major review into fire safety in buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017, he said.
The Fire Safety Consultation took place in 2020 to inform government work on improving fire safety, and more than 250 responses were received.
The government now intends to launch a further consultation on personal emergency evacuation plans this spring to seek additional views on implementing the relevant Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.
Williams adds: It’s imperative that people should not only feel but also be as safe as possible in the buildings where they live, stay or work. These new measures will not only improve fire safety and help save lives but will also see the government take firm action against those who fail in their duty to keep people safe.
House price data from the Land Registry shows that, in 2017 and 2018 and in the wake of Grenfell, the mere possibility of unsafe cladding was a concern for buyers and house price growth for flats dropped 1.6% in London.
The rate of price growth also slowed across the UK as a whole with prices rising just 1% compared to 3.8% the previous year. In Liverpool, the average price paid for a flat increased by just 2.5% annually compared to 7.3% the previous year.
