Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Government update on building safety published in April 2020, what contribution leaseholders will be required to make towards the new building safety measures for properties over eleven metres tall.

In April 2020 the Government announced changes to the guidance to the building regulations (Approved Document B) lowering the height threshold from 30 metres to 11 metres for sprinklers in new build blocks of flats, or where existing blocks of flats are undergoing major renovation.

That change to Approved Documents B also introduced new guidance on providing better wayfinding signage, to assist evacuations and provide safer passage for firefighters and residents around and out of buildings.

Both of these safety provisions come into effect on 26 November 2020 and were widely welcomed as an important contribution towards resident safety – supported by residents, the fire service and the insurance industry as an important step forward to reducing casualties and protecting property in the event of fire within flats.

Developers will meet the costs of installation of sprinklers and better wayfinding signage in new buildings as part of the overall build cost. When buying a new flat with sprinklers installed, depending on the service charge provisions in their leases, leaseholders may be required to pay for maintenance and associated repairs of sprinklers and signage.