EWS | DIGEST Deadline set for cladding removal Private sector buildings must have a clear timetable for the remediation of unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding by the end of 2019, or owners will face enforcement, the housing secretary has said. In a written statement to parliament, James Brokenshire said he expected the removal of unsafe ACM by June 2020. Brokenshire highlighted the fact that remediation in the private sector has been slow, which has motivated the government to announce a 200m fund to unblock progress. He also confirmed that planning permission may not be required where the external appearance of a building is not materially altered by new cladding. Brokenshire announced the results of a series of recent fire tests, conducted in accordance with British Standard 8414. A cladding system consisting of a Class B, fire retardant, high pressure laminate rainscreen with a non-combustible rock fibre insulation met the relevant pass criteria. Meanwhile, all timber fire doors tested met the required 30-minute fire performance standard. New regulator should oversee low-rise homes, say MPs Committee supports plans for safety body but says it should apply to more homes Any new regulatory regime created in response to the Grenfell fire in 2017 must be expanded to include all buildings where there are vulnerable people, MPs have said. This was a key conclusion of a report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, published last month. The committee was responding to the governments June 2019 proposals for the reform of the building safety regulatory system. While the report acknowledged the government intended to bring more buildings within the scope of the proposed regulatory regime, the committee said that height should not be the sole determining factor, and that it should include all buildings with vulnerable people. The committee also said the government was absolutely right to prioritise measures to Off-site build - a solid base for future developments Register FREE to join our live CPD webinar Thursday 19 September 2019 | 13.00 BST SIGN UP NOW http://bit.ly/cibsewebinars Brought to you by: CIBSE JOURNAL strengthen the voices of residents concerning building and fire safety, but voiced concerns at a perceived lack of progress in this area. Moreover, the pace of change set by the government in reforming the sector, and progress in removing potentially dangerous cladding, was far too slow. However, James Brokenshire, housing secretary, has said his department was working to allow the regulatory functions to exist prior to any new legislative regime being in place. The MPs called for clarification on how the national regulator will operate at the local level. The report said: It will be important to ensure that local authorities and fire and rescue authorities continue to play a central role in the new regulatory system, and their influence in local decision making is not diminished. It also called on the government to ensure there was adequate funding available for public bodies taking on new responsibilities. Read report at bit.ly/CJAug19News New BESA president calls for social justice Imtech Engineering Services John Norfolk has been elected president of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) for 2019/20. He takes over from Tim Hopkinson, of E Poppleton & Son, who served for two years. Norfolk has pledged to build on the 115-year-old bodys technical legacy, to help tackle the challenges created by climate change and the need for better buildings to address social problems. Never has our sectors specialist knowledge been more in demand and more valuable, he said. We are in the midst of major technical and philosophical change in this country. Part of the political upheaval which dominates headlines and conversations are the critical challenges we face around climate change. This will transform the way we work and thrust our industry into the limelight. It also creates an opportunity to John Norfolk address more fundamental social issues affected by building performance. Aiming for low and zero carbon development would have a hugely positive effect on the economy, added Norfolk, who urged the industry to see the climate change agenda as an opportunity to address social justice. A civilised society is founded on how it treats its people and, specifically, the most vulnerable, he said. A low carbon built environment will also be a highquality one that can offer a way out of poverty and poor health. 8 August 2019 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Aug19 pp08-09 News.indd 8 19/07/2019 14:59