Safe as Houses: Scottish government launches consultation on building safety

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on making Scotland’s buildings safer for people.

The consultation, which opened on 4^th July and closes 26^th September, seeks to gain views from stakeholders regarding fire safety in buildings and ensuring the safety of those who use them.

The consultation focuses on two main areas:

The roles and responsibilities of those verifying, inspecting and certifying building work and the enforcement of compliance with building regulations.
Fire safety standards relating to external cladding and cavities, escape and the provision of sprinklers. There is also a proposal to establish a ‘centra’ hub for verifying complex fire engineered solutions.

The changes put forward in the consultation aim to:

Improve compliance with buildings standards during the design and construction of all buildings, especially for complex and high value public buildings.
Address fire safety relates issues in relation to high rise domestic buildings and other designated residential buildings.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the Independent Inquiry into the Construction of Edinburgh Schools, both the Scottish and UK government have taken stock to scrutinise building regulations and their enforcement.

It is hoped that the recent flurry of consultations is a sign that government bodies are heeding the importance of building regulations and their enforcement, together with assessments carried out by qualified assessors.

To respond to the consultation, click here.

Safe as Houses: Scottish government launches consultation on building safety

Article Published: 06/07/18