Guest Accommodation Buildings in England of 18m high and above have to follow stricter fire safety standards

Guest accommodations in England will now have to adhere to a ban on the use of combustible materials in and on external walls.

For the last three years, the regulations (SI 2018/1230), which now apply to a range of guest accommodation buildings, were initially enforced for new high-rise blocks of flats more than 18m in height, as well as hospitals, care premises and student accommodation that are over the same height, to improve public safety.

Additionally, the latest building regulation changes include a complete ban on metal composite material with an unmodified polyethylene core — which was used on the Grenfell Tower — in the external walls of all new buildings and property undergoing works, regardless of height or use.

New hotels, hostels and boarding houses that are at least 18m high have been added to the list of buildings that have to follow stricter fire safety standards. All new residential buildings over 11m will now have to include a Secure Information Box that will give fire and rescue services access to important details about a building in the event of a fire.

The government's decision to make these amendments follows an 18-week consultation — running from 20th January 2020 to 25th May 2022 — which saw over 800 responses, mainly made up of architects, designers, engineers, surveyors, manufacturers, construction professionals, builders, developers and trade bodies. The reforms being put in place by the Building Safety Bill will be able to adapt to future risks and challenges, with a particular focus on high-rise residential buildings, where the spread of fire or structural flaws can lead to loss of multiple lives.

The new regime applies to buildings that are at least 18 metres in height or have at least 7 storeys and have at least two residential units. It also applies to care homes and hospitals meeting the same height threshold during design and construction.

For more information please contact ALERON Fire Protection team of fire protection specialists. Call our team on 0203 198 2400 or email us info@fire-proof.co.uk.

Further details of the Fire Safety legislation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/buildin...