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.
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.