
The Law Commission published its report on Technical Issues in Charity Law in September 2017 following a public consultation.
The Fire Safety Bill (“the Bill”) had its second reading in the House of Lords on 1 October 2020 and amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (“the Order”) to provide further clarity regarding the responsibilities of those involved in the ownership, management and maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings.
The Order applies to all non-domestic premises, including the communal areas of residential multi-occupancy homes and allocates responsibility for complying with the duties set out within it to certain individuals and organisations with ownership or management of a property (referred to as “the Responsible Person”) and other relevant duty holders such as those with maintenance responsibilities.
The scope of the Order, at present, does not clearly cover certain areas of the buildings that may pose a serious fire risk, for example, the structure of buildings and the externals walls. This is a source of confusion for both those involved in the ownership and management of buildings and enforcement authorities alike.
The Government has stated that “the Bill will provide a foundation for secondary legislation to take forward the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase One report which stated that building owners and managers of high-rise and multi-occupied residential buildings should be responsible for a number of areas including:
The key changes proposed in the Fire Safety Bill
The headline reforms introduced in the Bill include:
A look to the future of fire safety
The Fire Safety Bill brings welcome clarity regarding the responsibilities of the Responsible Person and other relevant duty holders. With the building’s structure, external walls and certain doorsets now expressly included, the Responsible Person will be required to carry out a broader fire risk assessment covering these areas and to put relevant fire precautions in place.
There are however some practical issues with the Bill that will need to be addressed.
Our fire safety experts are experienced in advising social housing providers on building safety issues. We also provide training for social housing providers regarding building safety issues. If you have any questions in relation to the Fire Safety Bill, or our bespoke training on the Building Safety Bill, please contact Lorna Kenyon or Kieran Binnie.
This is the fourth in a series of ebriefings on this topic. The full list can be found below:
The Law Commission published its report on Technical Issues in Charity Law in September 2017 following a public consultation.
Changing charitable purposes and amending governing documents.
One of the stated aims of the Green Paper is “to deliver the best commercial outcomes with the least burden on the public sector".
The proposals concerning dynamic purchasing systems (DPS) and framework agreements are the most disappointing aspect of the Green Paper.
Family team partner, Elizabeth Wyatt, is delighted to congratulate Kadie Bennett for attaining Resolution Specialist Accreditation in both children law - private and complex financial remedy matters.
On 11 February 2021, the Pension Schemes Act 2021 was given royal assent, setting out a framework for several major changes that will certainly be of interest to employers and pension funds alike.
Matthew Wort, partner, speaks on today’s Supreme Court judgment for sleep-in shifts.
The Supreme Court has today (19 March 2021) handed down judgment in the cases of Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake and Shannon v Rampersad (t/a Clifton House Residential Home).
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