Residential Building Safety
In 2021 the Department of Finance commissioned an Expert Panel to investigate the safety of high-rise residential buildings in Northern Ireland. The report, which was published on 7 December 2023, identified a number of issues with the current system, and presented a series of recommendations to help address these issues.
Report recommendations and the Residential Building Safety team
The Department of Finance Expert Panel's full report is available to view online.
The Department for Communities has established a Residential Building Safety Division to implement these recommendations. As the expert panel's report primarily addressed the issue of fire safety in high-rise residential buildings, this will be the initial focus of the Team. It is anticipated however, that further aspects of residential building safety will come under its remit in due course. The main purpose of the Team will be:
“Developing, implementing, and maintaining a system based on sound policy and legislation that manages the whole life of residential buildings and promotes a culture of safety."
Roadmap: Improving Safety in High Rise Residential Buildings - Implementation of NI Expert Panel Report
The Department has published a roadmap to communicate the proposed approach and actions for the newly formed Residential Building Safety Division's work programme. It outlines how the recommendations of the NI Expert Panel report will be addressed and considers the wider recommendations of the Hackitt Reports and the work progressed across the UK and in other relevant jurisdictions.
Engagement
Our policy co-design programme is now complete. We successfully facilitated and delivered 13 face-to-face sessions to 305 people, collaborating with colleagues in local and central government, as well as experts from industry. There was meaningful discussion at all sessions covering key policy areas such as the scope of the draft policy, accountability, competency, the golden thread, and the role of the regulator. This valuable discussion has revealed the need for further exploration of the minutiae of some topics, and so we are currently establishing and mobilising Task & Finish groups, with key experts and colleagues, to look at specific areas of the draft policy.
The team also plan to conduct further resident engagement sessions during the consultation stage. This will allow for mutually nurturing dialogues, which will lead to a better understanding of potential policy outcomes. Further information about these sessions will be available in due course
Notes and questions and answers arising from these sessions can be found below.
Cladding Safety Scheme
The Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) is a fund that addresses fire risks associated with cladding on residential buildings. The Department for Communities has an agreement in place with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for Northern Ireland applications to be processed and delivered through the CSS. Further information on the Cladding Safety Scheme can be found online.
Defective Premises Bill
The introduction of the Defective Premises Act (Northern Ireland) in September 2024 gives homeowners in Northern Ireland the same protections as those in England and Wales. It establishes a retrospective period of up to 30 years and a prospective period of 15 years in which a party can take action on defective premises.
- Defective Premises Act (Northern Ireland) 2024
- Defective Premises Bill - EQIA
- Defective Premises Bill - Regulatory Impact Assessment
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Frequently asked questions
A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) has been developed. It will be updated accordingly as the project develops.
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