The Government is set to ban the use of combustible materials on the outside of all new build high-rise buildings, hospitals, care homes and student accommodation.
Following a consultation on last year’s Grenfell Tower tragedy, James Brokenshire, housing secretary, told the Conservative Party Conference that the ban will cover all combustible materials, but will not be applied retrospectively.
This ban will be delivered through changes to building regulations guidance, and will limit materials available to products achieving a European classification of Class A1 or A2.
Brokenshire said: “It’s been over a year since the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire. This unimaginable horror has rightly shocked us all and underlined the need to do all that we can to see that such a disaster cannot happen again.
“My work with Grenfell United and the wider community has been hugely helpful in keeping this issue right at the top of the Government’s agenda.
“And that is why today I can confirm that I will change the building regulations to ban the use of combustible cladding for all high-rise residential buildings, hospitals, care homes and student accommodation.”
The new ban is intended to be brought forward in late Autumn.