Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Paragraph: 36
We welcome the introduction of the waking watch relief fund, which shows the Government recognises...
Conclusion
We welcome the introduction of the waking watch relief fund, which shows the Government recognises that intervention is needed to support leaseholders with interim fire safety costs. However, the scheme does not go far enough. It does not cover the costs of installing alarms in all affected buildings, and there can still be ongoing costs for leaseholders who do have alarms installed. Funding should be extended—either through the relief fund or through the Comprehensive Building Safety Fund—to cover all interim fire safety costs in all high-risk buildings (as defined by our recommended risk-based approach), including those below 17.7m.
Paragraph Reference:
36
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government recognises that the costs of prolonged interim measures can be a significant burden on leaseholders. That is why, in January 2021, we launched the £35 million Waking Watch Relief Fund to install common fire alarm systems in high-rise residential buildings where the fire safety strategy has moved from ‘stay put’ to ‘simultaneous evacuation’. As of 31 March 2022, data on the progress of the Waking Watch Relief Fund shows that £27.5m funding has already been provided or has been approved covering 323 buildings, 224 buildings have completed their alarm installation. The data currently shows that, by fitting an alarm, leaseholders are expected to save on average £166 per month. On 27 January 2022, we launched the Waking Watch Replacement Fund which made a further £27 million available to fund fire alarms in all buildings, regardless of height or cladding status, where a Waking Watch is in place at leaseholders’ expense. We will publish data on the fund shortly. Government is providing over £60m of funding to protect leaseholders from the continued burden of costly Waking Watch measures. Public funding must incentivise the right behaviour. The installation of alarms is consistent with industry led guidance and best practice. We are using public funding to end the reliance on Waking Watch measures in as many buildings as possible so that as many leaseholders as possible can be free of these costs. The Government’s view is that Waking Watch measures should be used only exceptionally and where the risk in a building is such that the only alternative is the evacuation of the building. Where Waking Watch is used it should be in place for the shortest possible period, for example the time taken for an alarm to be installed. The expert guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council provides a clear rationale as to why alarms must be installed quickly, and significant Government funding has been made available to provide for this. There is no excuse for building owners to keep imposing the prolonged and excessive costs associated with Waking Watch measures on leaseholders, and we will be setting out measures to discourage inappropriate use of waking watches.