High Rise Flats: Insulation

(asked on 14th December 2018) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the use of expanded polystyrene insulation in external wall insulation systems on new high-rise residential buildings is still permitted under Fire safety Approved Document B as amended in November 2018.


Answered by
Kit Malthouse Portrait
Kit Malthouse
This question was answered on 19th December 2018

The ban on combustible materials will apply to external walls in new buildings, or those undergoing building work, which have a storey at least 18 metres above ground level and contain one or more dwellings, an institution, or a room for residential purposes (excluding any room in a hostel, hotel or a boarding house). It requires that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1, other than those components which are exempted. We are not aware of any expanded polystyrene insulation products that would meet the Class A2-S1, d0 or Class A1 classifications and insulation materials are not exempted from this requirement. As such, current polystyrene insulation products could not be used in buildings within scope of the ban.

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