Ban on Grenfell-style cladding widened to include all new buildings

News06 Jun 2022James Wilmore

The government is introducing a complete ban on the type of cladding panels used on Grenfell Tower – five years after the tragedy in which 72 people died.

The Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people in June 2017 (picture: Lucy Brown)

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The government is introducing a complete ban on the type of cladding panels used on Grenfell Tower – five years after the tragedy in which 72 people died #UKhousing

The ban, to take effect this December, will prohibit the use of metal composite materials (MCM) with an unmodified polyethylene core in and on the external walls of all new buildings and properties undergoing refurbishment in England, regardless of height or use. This will include the aluminium composite material (ACM) that was used as cladding on Grenfell Tower.

The government was first warned about the dangers of this type of cladding in 2002, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry heard earlier this year.

The move has come in the government’s response to a two-year-old consultation on its current rules on combustible materials.

Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of those responding to the consultation did not agree with the outright ban on MCM.

One respondent said: “Such a ban could instil a chain reaction of fear amongst building owners, insurers, and funders alike that might regressively be applied to existing buildings.”

The approach, which will involve amending Approved Document B, means that structural timber will still be allowed to be used in the external walls of residential buildings below 18 metres tall, the government said. Some responding to the consultation “strongly emphasised” the sustainable benefits of timber.

The types of property included in the combustibles ban for buildings above 18 metres has also been widened. New hotels, hostels and boarding houses will now also be included under the guidance.

Previously, the combustibles ban – which was introduced in late 2018 – covered blocks of flats, hospitals, student accommodation and dormitories in boarding schools higher than 18 metres.

Other measures include an exemption from the ban on fibre optic cables and insulation materials 300mm from ground level. The legislation will also bring curtains and slats of solar shading devices within the scope of the ban.

In addition, all new residential buildings above 11 metres tall will have to include a ‘secure information box’ that will give fire services access to a building’s details in case of a fire.

New residential developments over 18 metres tall will also have to incorporate an ‘evacuation alert system’ to help fire and rescue services inform residents of a change in evacuation strategy during an incident.

Building and fire safety minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “These changes will support our tough new regulatory regime – ensuring fire safety measures are incorporated into new high-rise homes and all new residential buildings meet the same safety standards.”

He added: “It does not end here and I urge the industry to act quickly to update their practices in line with these new rules.”

Update: at 5.35 pm, 07.06.22

An earlier version of this story stated that the ban on MCM applied to all buildings above 11 metres. However the previous combustibles ban applied to all relevant buildings over 18 metres.