Inquiry into fire safety in high-rise buildings
Inquiry into fire safety in high-rise buildings
Inquiry5
The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee undertook three phases of its work on this inquiry during the Fifth Senedd.
Phase one: public sector
Phase one of the inquiry focussed on fire safety in high-rise buildings in the public sector.
The areas for
consideration were:
>>>>
>>>What fire
safety requirements/measures are currently in place in Welsh high rise blocks
>>>Are there any obvious
gaps or weaknesses in the current system of regulation in Wales of fire safety
in high rise blocks?
>>>Is guidance to residents
of high rise blocks in Wales, in the event of a fire, appropriate?
>>>How are residents in
Wales being informed about recent developments and reassured about fire safety
measures in their block? More broadly, to what extent are resident’s views
about fire safety being listened to and addressed.
<<<
The Committee held a number of
evidence sessions to inform the work which can be viewed in the table below.
Evidence
session |
Date,
agenda, minutes |
Transcript |
Video |
1.
Fire and Rescue Services Stuart
Millington, Senior Fire Safety Manager, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Steve
Rossiter, T/Area Manager, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Iwan Cray,
Area Manager, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service |
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2.
Professional bodies Matt Dicks, Director, Chartered
Institute of Housing Cymru Steve Clarke, Managing Director,
Welsh Tenants |
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3.
Professional bodies David
Wilton, Director, TPAS Gareth
John, Freelance Consultant, Chartered Institute of Building |
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4.
Local government representatives Tony
Jones, Capital Works Team Manager, Flintshire County Council Sarah
McGill, Corporate Chief Officer for Communities, Cardiff Council Colin Blackmore,
Estates Improvement Manager, Cardiff Council Martin
Nicholls, Director of Place, City and County of Swansea Councillor
Clive Lloyd, Deputy Leader of Swansea Council |
|||
5.
Housing
Representatives Stuart Ropke, Chief Executive,
Community Housing Cymru Ceri Doyle, Chief Executive, Newport
City Homes Mike Owen, Chief Executive, Merthyr
Valleys Homes Tim Beckingsale, Interim Director of
Asset Management, Pobl Group Alan Brunt, Chief Executive, Bron
Afon Community Housing |
|||
6.
Welsh
Government Lesley Griffiths AM, Cabinet
Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Carl Sargeant AM, Cabinet Secretary
for Communities and Children Martin Swain, Deputy Director,
Community Safety, Welsh Government Emma Williams, Deputy Director,
Housing Policy, Welsh Government Neil Hemington, Head of Planning,
Welsh Government |
Phase
two: private sector
Phase two
of the inquiry focussed on fire safety in high-rise buildings in the private
sector.
The
areas for consideration were:
>>>>
>>>How has the private
sector responded to concerns about fire safety in high rise residential blocks?
>>>What is the extent of
remedial work that needs to be done to meet fire safety standards in Wales, and
what arrangements are in place to cover the costs?
>>>How are
leaseholders/residents in Wales being informed about recent developments and
reassured about fire safety measures in their block? More broadly, to what
extent are residents’ views about fire safety being listened to and addressed.
>>>What, if any, additional
practical or financial support is needed from the Welsh or UK Governments to
help ensure high rise blocks are safe.
<<<
The Committee
held a number of evidence sessions to inform the work which can be viewed in
the table below. Additionally, the Committee consulted on this topic. The
consultation responses can be viewed below.
Evidence session |
Date, agenda,
minutes |
Transcript |
Video |
1.
Fire and Rescue Services David Hancock, Group Manager, Head of Business Fire
Safety, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Kevin Roberts, Senior Fire Safety Manager, North
Wales Fire and Rescue Service Christian Hadfield, GM - Operations Department,
Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Owen Jayne, Group Manager, South Wales Fire and
Rescue Service |
|||
2.
Managing agents Nigel Glen, Chief Executive Officer, Association of
Residential Managing Agents Jason Clarke, Head of Risk Management, Warwick
Estates Rachel Dobson, Head of Health and Safety, Mainstay
Group Limited Julie Griffiths, Property Manager for managed
properties in Wales, Mainstay Group Limited David Clark, Chairman, Mainstay Group Limited |
|||
3.
Federation of Private Residents Association Cassandra Zanelli, honorary consultant to the
Federation of Private Residents Association |
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4.
Local government representatives Jim McKirdle, Housing Policy Officer, Welsh Local
Government Association Graham Bond, Acting Building Control Manager,
Planning, Transport and Environment, Cardiff Council Dave Holland, Head of Shared Regulatory Services,
Shared Regulatory Services, Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan |
|||
5.
Minister for Housing and Regeneration Rebecca Evans AM, Minister for Housing and
Regeneration Emma Williams, Deputy Director, Housing Policy
Division, Education and Public Services Group, Welsh Government Francois Samuel, Head of Building Regulations,
Building Regulations, Planning Directorate, Welsh Government Andy Fry OBE, Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor and
Inspector for Wales, Fire Services Branch, Education and Public Services
Group, Welsh Government Huw Maguire, Senior Policy Manager, Housing Policy,
Education and Public Services Group, Welsh Government |
|||
6.
Viridis Real Estate Tom Jones, Senior Project Manager, Viridis Real
Estate |
Report
The
Committee published its report: Fire
safety in high-rise buildings (private sector) in November 2018.
The Welsh Government laid its response
to the report in January 2019. The report and government response was debated
in Plenary on 16
January 2019.
Update
Following the
publication of the Grenfell Tower inquiry report, the Committee held a follow
up scrutiny session with the Minister for Housing and Local Government on
Thursday 5 December 2019.
Phase
three: Welsh Government white paper - Safer
Buildings in Wales: A Consultation
The Committee
undertook a third phase of work on the inquiry following the Welsh Government’s
publication of a white paper “Safer
Buildings in Wales: A Consultation” on 12 January 2021. The Committee
considered progress made on improving fire safety and invited stakeholders’
views on how the white paper may impact their work and building safety,
focussing on private sector high rise residential buildings. The Committee’s
findings from this third phase of the inquiry were submitted to the Welsh
Government as a formal
response to the White Paper.
Evidence
session |
Date,
agenda, minutes |
Transcript |
Video |
1. Fire and Rescue Services Owen Jayne,
Group Manager, Head of Business Fire Safety, South Wales Fire and Rescue
Service Siôn Slaymaker,
Group Manager, Head of Business Fire Safety, Mid and West Wales Fire and
Rescue Service Bob Mason,
Head of Business Fire Safety, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service |
|||
2.
Professional bodies Paul
Edwards, Senior Regional Director, NHBC Peter
Richards, Chair, Local Authority Building Control Cymru Andrew Thomas,
Senior Building Control officer, Fire Safety working Group, Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors |
|||
3. Managing Agents Jason
Clarke, Head of Risk Management, Warwick Estates Nigel Glen,
Chief Exectuive Officer, ARMA Mark
Snelling, Health, Safety and Fire Advisor, ARMA |
As part of its
phase 3 work, the Committee held virtual focus groups with stakeholders. A summary note
of the focus group discussions is available.
Committee’s
response to the Welsh Government consultation
The Committee
submitted and published its response
to the Welsh Government White Paper “Safer Buildings in Wales” on 25 March
2021.
Business type: Committee Inquiry
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
Status: Complete
First published: 22/06/2017
Documents
- Correspondence
- Correspondence from the Specialist Engineers Contractors Group Wales (SEC Group) - 11 July 2017
- Letter from the Chair to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children - 15 August 2017 PDF 129 KB
- Letter from the Chair to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs - 15 August 2017 PDF 131 KB
- Letter from Chair of Communities and Local Government Committee - 7 September 2017 PDF 237 KB
- Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children - 4 October 2017 PDF 61 KB View as HTML (6) 16 KB
- Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children - 1 November 2017
- Letter from the Chair of the Petitions Committee - 25 January 2018
- Letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services - 21 March 2018 PDF 77 KB
- Letter from the Minister for Housing and Regeneration, the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services and the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs - 18 April 2018 PDF 1 MB
- Letter to the Minister for Housing and Regeneration - 17 May 2018 PDF 84 KB
- Letter to the Chair of the Petitions Committee in relation to P-05-777 Application of the Automatic Fire Suppression Systems Legislation within the current Building Regulations for Wales - 30 May 2018 PDF 69 KB
- Letter from the Minister for Housing and Regeneration - 12 June 2018 PDF 275 KB
- Letter to the Minister for Housing and Regeneration - 26 June 2018 PDF 76 KB
- Letter from the Minister for Housing and Regeneration - 9 July 2018
- Letter to the Leasehold Advisory Service - 17 August 2018 PDF 77 KB
- Letter to the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership - 17 August 2018 PDF 77 KB
- Letter from the Minister for Housing and Regeneration - 6 November 2018
- Welsh Government response to the Committee's report - 21 December 2019
- Correspondence to the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 4 July 2019 PDF 80 KB
- Correspondence from the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 6 August 2019 PDF 276 KB
- Correspondence from an anonymous individual - 7 October 2019 PDF 85 KB
- Correspondence from Andrew RT Davies - 22 October 2019
- Restricted enclosure
- Correspondence from the Celestia Action Group - 5 December 2019 PDF 1 MB
- Correspondence to the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 20 December 2019 PDF 2 MB
- Correspondence from the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 13 January 2020 PDF 2 MB
- Correspondence from an anonymous individual - 14 October 2020 PDF 403 KB
- Correspondence to the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 30 October 2020 PDF 424 KB
- Letter from the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 27 November 2020 PDF 275 KB
- Letter from the Chair of the Petitions Committee - 9 February 2021
- Letter to the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 9 March 2021 PDF 184 KB
- Letter from the Minister for Housing and Local Government - 16 March 2021 PDF 2 MB
- Phase 2: private sector responses
- FSPS 01 - ARMA (and Warwick Estates) PDF 62 KB View as HTML (35) 19 KB
- FSPS 02 - CRM Residential PDF 59 KB View as HTML (36) 14 KB
- FSPS 03 - Home Builders Federation PDF 14 KB View as HTML (37) 5 KB
- FSPS 04 - Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service PDF 606 KB
- FSPS 05 - North Wales Fire and Rescue Service PDF 105 KB
- FSPS 06 - Mainstay Ltd PDF 231 KB
- FSPS 07 - Federation of Private Residents Association PDF 319 KB
- FSPS 08 - RICS PDF 402 KB
- FSPS 09 - South Wales Fire and Rescue Service PDF 558 KB
- Phase 3: Welsh Government white paper - Safer Buildings in Wales: A Consultation
- FS WP 1 - South Wales Fire and Rescue Service PDF 378 KB View as HTML (45) 69 KB
- FS WP 2 - Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service PDF 2 MB
- FS WP 3 - North Wales Fire and Rescue Service PDF 248 KB
- FS WP 4 - NHBC PDF 931 KB
- FS WP 5 - LABC PDF 392 KB View as HTML (49) 12 KB
- FS WP 6 - RICS PDF 1 MB
- FS WP 7 - ARMA PDF 2 MB
- FS WP 8 - Warwick Estates PDF 2 MB
- FS WP 9 - CICAIR PDF 519 KB
- Focus group - Summary note PDF 159 KB
- Consultation response to the Welsh Government's White Paper "Safer buildings in Wales" PDF 215 KB