“Co-ordinated action urgently needed to remediate unsafe buildings” urges NFCC

In publishing a new White Paper entitled ‘Remediation: Fire Service Policy and Operations’, the NFCC has urged that, despite progress being made, there are long-standing challenges yet to be addressed. The White Paper sets out some of the barriers to meeting the Government’s targets, including significant difficulties in identifying and inspecting affected buildings and tackling workforce shortages.

The NFCC is also calling on the Government to step up efforts designed to manage the risk for those currently living in affected buildings by increasing the use of sprinkler systems in existing residential buildings over 11 metres tall based on risk assessments.

Since the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, Fire and Rescue Services have played a crucial role in identifying unsafe buildings, supporting enforcement and ensuring the immediate safety of residents. However, the NFCC is adamant that Fire and Rescue Services are under pressure to balance this work against other key priorities – among them protecting people in other high-risk buildings, such as care homes and hospitals – while having to manage increased funding pressures, workforce shortages and burgeoning costs.

Remediation Acceleration Plan

The Government published its Remediation Acceleration Plan in December, duly committing to complete the remediation of all buildings over 18 metres in height within Government-funded initiatives by the end of 2029.

For buildings over 11 metres tall with safety defects, remediation is intended to be complete (or have a clear timeline for completion) by the end of 2029.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government estimates that up to 12,000 buildings over 11 metres tall need to be remediated, with 60% of affected buildings still to be identified.

The White Paper from NFCC warns that, with current capacity, to review or inspect all mid-rise residential buildings from 11 metres to 18 metres would take between 12.76 and 24.23 years at an estimated cost of £284.24 million to £608.82 million.

Fire and Rescue Services already face multiple pressures due to their evolving role in protecting communities, including the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, alongside ongoing inflationary pressures. Most will have their funding cut in cash terms under next year’s local Government financial settlement.

The NFCC has noted that, even with more funding in place, hitting remediation targets would be hindered by significant workforce challenges in the construction and fire safety sectors. Training fire engineers takes three-to-five years, with many leaving the public sector for better paid private sector roles and the limited pool of professionals causing wage inflation.

Slow progress in improving competency and capacity across fire engineering and fire risk assessment is also being compounded by a decline in STEM skills and an ageing construction workforce. The NFCC is urging the Government to establish a cross-departmental Construction Skills Strategy to address chronic shortages in the number of fire engineers, fire risk assessors and other key professionals.

The White Paper also calls for the Government to deliver on recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 final report regarding occupational regulation and competency and in relation to the Building Regulations guidance not facilitating compliance with the Building Regulations 2010.

National tragedy

"The Grenfell Tower fire was a national tragedy,” said NFCC chair Mark Hardingham, “and yet nearly eight years on, not enough progress has been made in addressing issues in the built environment. We need to put the proper processes in place now in order to fully identify and remove the barriers to remediation, manage the risk and ensure people are protected.”

Hardingham added: “This means a centrally co-ordinated programme, a serious plan to tackle workforce shortages and joined-up strategic direction to manage other crucial priorities. Unless we ensure these foundations are in place, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past and leaving thousands of people living in unsafe buildings for many years to come.”

Dave Russel, chair of the NFCC’s Protection Committee and Chief Fire Officer for Greater Manchester, added: “While a Construction Skills Strategy will take time to establish, the absence of one has created a gap, leaving no agreed picture of how many skilled practitioners the UK has – or, indeed, needs – in order to inform current targets or plans.”

*Copies on the NFCC’s White Paper entitled Remediation: Fire Service Policy and Operations can be accessed online

**Information concerning the Government’s Remediation Acceleration Plan can be found on GOV.UK