The G15 responds to combustible materials consultation

The G15 responds to combustible materials consultation

  • 15 April 2020

The Government is running a consultation seeking views on the ban of the use of combustible materials in and on external walls of buildings including attachments.

This consultation covers the ban of the use of combustible materials in and on external walls of buildings, including building types covered, height threshold, list of exemptions, attachments such as blinds, shutters and awnings, and a proposal to specifically ban the use of metal composite panels in and on the external walls of all buildings.

The G15 welcomes this consultation as ensuring our homes are safe for residents is our single greatest responsibility as building owners and landlords. We believe the ban has an important role to play in making sure that residents of these buildings are safe, and we welcome the opportunity to help the government make the ban work as well as possible for residents and landlords.

While the G15 broadly supports the Government’s proposals we would like to emphasise three general points:

  • We’re generally supportive of a risk-based approach to fire safety, which would see the overall safety risk of new buildings assessed at planning stage, throughout construction, and at handover.
  • The Government should carefully consider the impact that changes to the ban could have on residents of existing buildings.
  • We support the Government’s proposals to commission further research on the height threshold for the ban and use of laminate glass.
Read our full response here