link to ringley website
  • Home
  • About Us
    About us & leadership Awards Savings for Clients Case Studies Green Management Strategies Market Overview Leasehold Reform Campaign Money Back Guarantee
  • Our Services
    • Asset Management
      • UK Asset Management
      • Project Monitoring
      • ESG Consultancy & Implementation
      • PropTech & Living Sectors Platform
      • Marketing Insights
      • Resident Journey
      • Stabilised Assets
      • UK Build to Rent
      • UK Later Living
      • UK Co-Living
      • UK Student Accommodation
      • UK Single Family Housing
    • Block Management
      • Overview - London
      • Overview - Wales & West
      • Overview - Southwest
      • Right to Manage
      • Freehold Management
      • Resident Management
      • Estates of Houses
      • Ground Rent Collection
      • How to change agent?
      • Block Management Services
      • Can't afford an agent?
      • Legal & Tribunals
      • Top 10 Tips
      • Report an incident
    • Commercial Management
    • Law
      • Overview
      • Meet The Team
      • Recommendations
      • Right to Manage
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Absentee Freeholder
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Conveyancing - Wales
      • Conveyancing - England
      • Service Charge/Rent Arrears Recovery
      • Company Secretary
    • Property Valuations
      • Overview
      • Loan Security
      • Company Accounts
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Rent Reviews
      • Ground Rent Investment
      • Development Valuations
      • Expert Witness & Litigation
      • Tax, Trusts & Accounts Valuations
      • Trading Business
      • Compulsory Purchase
      • Residential Valuations
    • Engineering
      • Overview
      • EWS1 Consultancy
      • Asbestos
      • Contract Administration
      • Fire Assesment
      • Homebuyer Survey
      • Building Survey
      • Schedules
      • Party Wall Matters
      • Principle Designer
      • Disability Access Audits
      • Small Building Works
      • Fire Door Inspection
      • Insurance Valuations
    • Property Accounting
      • Finance
      • Quote For Service Charge Accounts?
      • Property Accounting Law
      • Accounting Updates
      • To Audit or Not?
    • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Fire Door Inspection APP
      • Fire Safety Update
    • Site Staffing Solutions
      • Ringley Integrated Site Staff Solutions
    • Leasehold Guidance
      • Overview
      • Right to Manage
      • Purchasing The Freehold
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Absentee Freeholder
  • Insights
    Asset Management Articles Block Management Blogs Publications BTR Rental Market Blogs Customer Insights FAQ - Ask Our Experts Insurance Calculator
  • Get In Touch
  • Work with us
  • Portal Login
Building safety back in the spotlight

Written by: Mary-Anne Bowring 02/09/2020
  473       0
Responsive image

Once again a residential block has gone up in flames. This time ? thankfully ? no one was killed. But it took 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines from the London Fire Brigade to get the huge blaze, at a block in Barking, under control. It seems that wooden balconies ? which residents had previously raised concerns about ? were responsible for spreading the fire at a terrifying speed and, once again, questions are being asked about the safety of construction materials and the way they are used on residential buildings.
So it seems ironic that on Friday the government published its new consultation Building a safer future: proposals for reform of the leaseholders'>building safety regulatory system. The document follows up on the recommendations made by Dame Judith Hackitt?s independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety and looks for ways to make buildings safer for residents.
Five key areas are up for discussion:

  • Scope for a new leaseholders'>building safety regime which goes further than Dame Judith recommended, covering all multi-occupied residential buildings of 18 metres or more;
  • The concept of ?dutyholders?, who will have clear responsibilities for building design, construction and occupation;
  • Proposals to ensure that residents are given better information about their buildings so they can take part in decisions about safety, and have clear and quick routes of escalation for their concerns if they are not addressed;
  • Plans for a new leaseholders'>building safety regulator; and
  • Proposals to strengthen regulation of construction products.


The proposed system will be underpinned by strengthened enforcement and sanctions and, where necessary, effective punishments for non-compliance.
This is all too little, too late for residents of the Barking block who will need rehousing until their homes can be brought back into a habitable state. But this fire highlights once again the holes that exist in our leaseholders'>building safety regime. It is vitally important that the whole issue is closely scrutinised and that effective improvements are made. So if you want to have your say and respond to the consultation, you can read the document in full and complete the online survey at https://bit.ly/2Wt1vIb You have until the end of July to make your voice heard.



Property Management Block Management Building Safety
POPULAR POSTS

What helps make a good letting agent?

Ground Rent: Fines for Landlords Who Charge Ground Rent

Know your onions - and your tomatoes!

Stay put - when is it safe to leave?

High Court: Right to Rent does breach human rights

RECENT POSTS

Service Charges and Paying by Instalments: Should a ManCo Allow Monthly Payments?

Service Charge and Buildings Insurance: The Risk of Under-Insurance and Claims Averaging

Service Charges in New Build Flats vs Older Converted Properties: What Are the Differences?

Why Standing Orders Don't Really Work for Service Charges

Service Charges Are Not For Profit: What ManCo Directors Need to Know


Blogs on similar property topics

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Building Safety:  New Code of Practice for Remediation 
Building Safety: Code of Practice for RemediationThe agenda for remediation of build defects has now firmly widened to include cladding on facades, compartmentation flat to flat, the communal areas and fire doors (apartments and communal). We have the Developer Remediation Contract signed by most developers in England and the Self Remediation Contracts for Wales. The worry has been that leaseholders still feel confused, stressed, and lacking c...

Read More

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Property Management explained
So what's this week's hot property management topic? To me, it seems to be the increasing number of Freshwater blocks we are talking about. All of them seem to be waking up to the realization that they don't need to be subservient to Freshwater anymore. How so? You may ask. Well, since the introduction of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, property management of your block is probably your absolute right. I know there's a contradict...

Read More

ASSET MANAGEMENT
The Fire Safety Act and your front door: new responsibilities
After the tragic Grenfell Tower incident in 2017, the government took decisive action by introducing the Fire Safety Act 2021.What is the relationship between the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order of 2005?This legislation is an essential amendment to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The primary goal of this legislation is to prevent similar future incidents. The Fire Safety Act are rooted in the ...

Read More

Meet our Expert Property Commentators

Mary-Anne Bowring FTPI FRICS FARLA FCABE Founder/Head of Asset Management

Strategic partnerships, holistic delivery/ opportunities, growth, value engineering, thought leadership

Ian Barber MD BTR Mobilisation & Leasing

Runs HQ & site lease-up teams. Drives rent pricing, mobilisation, marketing, happy residents!

Jon Curtis MRICS Head of Building Engineering

Chartered Building Surveyor. Lectures on EWS1 & building safety. Runs CapEx programmes.

Kate Robinson MTPI MD Blocks/FM Management (London Region)

Master plan setup, ops and staffing and resident engagement. ISO45001 champion.

Lee Harle Partner Ringley Law

Plot conveyancing. Debt litigation. Group Company Secretary.

Natalie Birmingham Helpdesk Support Manager

Trainer & Helpdesk Manager: people, systems,contractors. ISO45001 supply chain accreditation.

Chris Georgalis MRICS Head of Commercial Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental valuations: retail, leisure. IRR modelling and valuations for secured lending. Compulsory purchase & rent reviews

Nichola Pughe MRICS Head of Residential Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental development & mixed use valuations, IRR modelling. Leasehold enfranchisement specialist


Insights, articles & blogs
INDEX

PROPERTY
BLOGS

LANDLORD
BLOGS

PROPERTY
ARTICLES

E-BOOKS

inshights shared - link to planetrent blogs

Landlord blog
Read landlord blog
inshights shared - link to ringley blogs

Property blogs
Read property blogs
inshights shared - link to ringley articles

Property articles
Read property articles
inshights shared - link to ringley ebooks

E-books
Read E-books

Our Offices

link to ringley social media facebook link to ringley social media instagram link to ringley social media linkedin link to ringley social media x-twitter
  • Back
    Office
  • Ringley House
  • 1 Castle Road
  • London
  • NW1 8PR
  • T: 0207 267 2900
  • Customer
    Office
  • Ringley House
  • 47 Rochester Place
  • London
  • NW1 9JL
  • Manchester
  • 11 Swan Street
  • Northern Quarter
  • Manchester
  • M4 5JJ
  • T: 0330 174 7777
  • Cardiff
  • 122 West Bute Street
  • Cardiff Bay
  • Cardiff
  • CF10 5LJ
  • T: 0330 174 7747
link to ifsm website link to tpos website link to rics website link to ukgbc website link to governmanet security industry authority website link to alep website
  • What we do
  • Asset Management
  • Block Management
  • Facilities Management
  • Property Law
  • Surveying / Valuation
  • Building Engineering
  • Financial Services
  • Managing Agents
  • Block Management Locations
  • Co-working
  • Renting & Letting
  • Right to Manage
  • Contractor Management
  • Space to Work
  • Fees and Client Money Protections
  • Ringley Group
  • About us
  • CSR / ESG
  • BusyLiving
  • PlanetRent
  • Talk to us
  • Careers
  • Ask a Question
  • Insights
  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • Subscribe
  • BTR & PRS Buildings

Emergency Lines

0207 428 2056

0207 267 2900

solutions@ringley.co.uk

Report an incident

read more link

All content © copyright 2025. Ringley Limited. All Rights reserved. Ringley Limited, incorporated and registered in England and wales.

Registered office: Ringley House, 1 Castle Road, London, NW1 8PR. Company No. 03302438

Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Modern slavery act | Health and Safety Policy | Anti Bribery and Corruption | COVID-19 risk assessment

Ringley Staff Dashboard
link to ringley social media facebook link to ringley social media instagram link to ringley social media linkedin link to ringley social media x-twitter
link to ringley social media x-twitter for small device
link to ringley social media linkedin for small device
link to ringley social media instagram for small device
link to ringley social media facebook for small device
  • Ringley Group
  • About us
  • CSR / ESG
  • BusyLiving
  • PlanetRent
  • Talk to us
  • Careers
  • Ask a Question
  • Insights
  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • Subscribe
  • BTR & PRS Buildings
  • What we do
  • Asset Management
  • Block Management
  • Facilities Management
  • Property Law
  • Surveying / Valuation
  • Building Engineering
  • Financial Services
  • Managing Agents
  • Block Management Locations
  • Co-working
  • Renting & Letting
  • Right to Manage
  • Contractor Management
  • Space to Work
  • Fees and Client Money Protections
  • Email: solutions@ringley.co.uk

  • Emergency line 1: 0207 428 2056

  • Emergency line 2: 0207 267 2900

  • Report an incident
  • Our Offices
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 1 Castle Road
  • London
  • NW1 8PR
  • T: 0207 267 2900
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 47 Rochester Place
  • London
  • NW1 9JL
  • Manchester
  • 11 Swan Street
  • Northern Quarter
  • Manchester
  • M4 5JJ
  • T: 0330 174 7777
  • Cardiff
  • 122 West Bute Street
  • Cardiff Bay
  • Cardiff
  • CF10 5LJ
  • T: 0330 174 7747
Privacy Policy
Ringley Staff Dashboard
link to ifsm website link to tpos website link to rics website link to ukgbc website link to government security industry authority website link to alep website

All content © copyright 2025. Ringley Limited. All Rights reserved. Ringley Limited, incorporated and registered in England and wales. Registered office: Ringley House, 1 Castle Road, London, NW1 8PR. Company No. 03302438
Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Modern slavery act | COVID-19 risk assessment