To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on interested parties of developments of sub-18 metre buildings of the provisions of his Department's Guidance of 20 January 2020 entitled Advice for Building Owners of Multi-storey, Multi-occupied Residential Buildings.
Answered on
20 October 2020
The Independent Expert Advisory Panel’s consolidated advice note was issued in January to support Building Owners to ensure their buildings, and occupants are safe, regardless of height. It set out more detailed expert advice based on emerging and new evidence on building safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The Department is aware that the guidance has been used by insurers and lenders in their work to support valuations for mortgage purposes, using the RICS EWS1 process. The Government does not support a blanket approach in EWS1 use for lower risk properties. We are working with mortgage lenders to support a more pragmatic approach in their valuation of homes within multi storey residential buildings.