A prominent construction industry figure has raised concerns over proposed fire safety legislation, warning that it may not adequately protect residents in high-rise apartment buildings.
David Jones, who leads the Institute of Construction Management and brings over five decades of industry experience, has voiced strong opposition to government plans that would transform existing fire safety recommendations into binding law. He says the current guidelines are vague and lack strength, with too much room for varying interpretations.
Mr Jones’s primary concern centres on what he calls an excessive acceptance of danger. The proposed regulations would permit certain flammable components to remain in buildings, including materials in windows and between floors, even when they might allow flames to travel between levels.
According to Mr Jones, these rules create loopholes that property developers can exploit. The framework uses the term “tolerable” repeatedly when describing acceptable fire hazards.Cladding campaigners agree, saying the word appears tens of times in the guidelines, which are known as PAS 9980.
Under this approach, combustible materials can remain if testing shows a fire would not spread beyond one level within fifteen minutes, or two levels within half an hour.
Critics point out that the guidelines don’t explicitly demand that engineers provide conclusive fire testing evidence for these materials, making the evaluation process highly subjective.
The proposed regulations emerge from ongoing efforts to address the building safety crisis that followed the Grenfell disaster eight years ago. However, remediation work has progressed at a sluggish pace. Government figures from late last year indicate that fewer than 500 buildings out of over 5,500 identified as dangerous were fully repaired and certified safe in the previous twelve months.
The housing minister said that approximately one-third of hazardous buildings have had exterior cladding replaced since the tragedy, with nearly all the tallest structures using similar materials to Grenfell Tower now addressed.
Resident advocates worry that leaving any flammable materials in place could result in permanently elevated insurance costs. While officials state that insurers should reduce premiums once buildings receive safety certification, insurance companies will continue to factor in any remaining fire risks when setting prices.
Mr Jones notes that the guidelines focus solely on building exteriors, ignoring the interior fire safety problems that inspections have uncovered in numerous tower blocks.
The government has firmly dismissed the criticisms, arguing that the new law will prevent excessive work and disruption for residents. Public feedback on the proposal has now closed, with legislation expected this year.