Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety, established in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, published its final report in May.
Among its recommendations, the review said that councils should have a statutory duty when determining planning applications to consult with fire and rescue authorities to ensure accessibility for emergency services at or around high-rise buildings.
In its response to the review, the government has committed to consult in spring 2019 "on making fire and rescue authorities statutory consultees in the planning process for multi-occupied residential buildings of height 30 metres plus (10 storeys or more)".
The government has also committed to establishing a "Joint Regulators’ Group" to bring existing health and safety regulatory bodies together "to work with developers and building owners, as well as seeking input from residents and tenants, to develop and test new approaches that may later feature in legislation".
A briefing on what planners need to know about fire safety can be found here.
An analysis examining the planning issues raised by the Grenfell Tower fire can be found here.
