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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in the context of remediation of fire safety defects in towerblocks, whether exemptions are possible for wooden balconies in the event that they have been treated with fire retardant material.

The Government has always been clear that a risk-based professional judgement should be made regarding the safety of a building’s external wall system and would encourage building owners to consult a competent professional who will be able to advise.

A number of factors should be considered when considering balconies including building height, balcony arrangement and location as well as consideration of other fire safety measures such as sprinklers. We cannot comment on specific building situations however we would always encourage those undertaking these assessments to use an approach proportionate to the level of risk in each building.

In April 2020, the Government published the workplan for the technical review of the statutory guidance to the Building Regulations with regards to fire safety (Approved Document B). We have commissioned research for this fundamental review which will address key fire safety issues. We have already started research on balcony spandrels and laminated glass, construction technologies and design, compartmentation and fire resistance, and other important topics. Details of the technical review are set out here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877365/Technical_review_of_Approved_Document_B_workplan.pdf

The Technical Review will provide us a robust evidence base to make any future policy decisions.