New regulations introduce Residential PEEPs to support safer evacuation

The regulations introduce Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs), which include identifying relevant residents, a person-centred fire risk assessment, an agreed emergency evacuation statement, optional consent-based sharing of information with the local Fire and Rescue Authority and the ongoing review of plans and evacuation procedures.

These duties are legally enforceable and apply to residential buildings over 18 metres (or seven storeys) or 11 metres and above with a simultaneous evacuation strategy.

The new rules follow recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which called for legally required evacuation planning for residents unable to self-evacuate. Government consultations found that workplace-style PEEPs were impractical in residential settings. As such, an alternative approach was developed and formalised through the EEIS+ consultation in 2022.

Participation in Residential PEEPs is voluntary and residents must give explicit consent for information sharing.

Enforcement duties will bestowed upon Fire and Rescue Authorities, although residents in higher-risk buildings can also raise complaints through the Building Safety Regulator.