Read the Latest News from our Building Safety Team
Posted Friday, July 21, 2023
Our Building Safety Team, led by Head of Fire & Building Safety Graham Oliphant, are subject matter experts and fire specialists. Over the last two years they have been providing reassurance and consultative advice to clients, as well as strategic direction to the business and technical support to our Property Management teams.
The team have been instrumental in a variety of projects across the Group, which include:
- Successfully project managing several remediation projects totalling £54m worth of project costs through the Building Safety Fund, negotiating over £3m in pre tender support.
- Maintaining a 100% success record in converting B2 rated buildings to achieve a B1 rating, through re-evaluating and negotiating with fire engineering companies. So far, 68 buildings have been successfully reappraised and these residents can now access lending and also have their building’s insurance re-rated.
- Developing excellent relationships with Fire Rescue Services to successfully satisfy 19 historical enforcement notices. The business now has zero enforcement notices across the entire group.
- Creating and deploying a ground-breaking PEEPS programme* across all 11m+ buildings with an opt in service. They also provide free and confidential consultations and with respondents permission signpost these vulnerable residents to the local fire service for a free home fire safety visit, further solidifying the partnership working with the local fire service, as well as making residents feel safe in their homes.
*The LFB are currently looking to adopt this PEEPS programme as part of their London wide community fire safety programme.
More recently, the Building Safety Team have been advising our property teams on the roll out of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations. They have been engaging with developers across our portfolio (39 developers across 165 in-scope 11m+buildings) to progress areas of remediation which fall under the developer contract, and navigate the nuances of the leaseholder protection regulation.
The team has been proactive in engaging with several developers to become involved with Building Safety discussions at the Gateway 3 stage across a number of pledged HRB buildings. As well as creating a ‘Safety Fee’ and Budget Guide to cover additional costs from new fire safety legislation, they have also identified the PAP and APs for existing occupied HRBs to negotiate instructions to assist them to fulfil their role as the PAP.
Our Building Safety Team have the competencies and experience to assist developers by offering a ‘Turn Key Solution for HRBs’ by being able to develop Building Safety cases and meet the compliance requirements and engagement with the BSR. They have also been providing technical and legislation guidance training to developers, freeholders and management companies as they strive to enfranchise all parties in a collaborative approach to making buildings match fit for the new legislation.
