Second Staircases

Anne Clarke AM proposed and, Sakina Sheikh AM seconded the following motion:

“This Assembly notes that London has many buildings which only have a single staircase, posing a fire risk. We also note the increasing calls for a second staircase to be installed in new buildings in recent years and the importance of having two means of escape and access in the event of an emergency.
 
The Assembly further notes the Levelling Up Secretary, The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, confirmed in July 2023 that all new buildings over 18m will require a second staircase. This is a change from the previous threshold of 30m. According to GLA estimates, this impacts some 34,000 homes in the London development pipeline that are referrable to the Mayor. However, this figure will be higher as this does not include schemes that are not referrable.
 
This Assembly welcomes the Mayor’s actions to date, including GLA policies going beyond Building Regulations, calling for a mandatory second staircase on buildings and writing twice to the Government in July and September 2023 highlighting his concerns at the delay and lack of clarity. 
 
This Assembly notes the Government’s October announcement of a 30-month transition period for developers to amend their schemes to include a second staircase but is concerned that this period is too long. Plus schemes that start within the first 18 months will not be required to include a second staircase, meaning we will still see new builds with only one staircase. 
 
We are further concerned that the 30-month transition period is yet to start and will only commence when Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) publishes the guidance that includes the technical details of what is required. This lack of clarity from the Department is further delaying the pipeline of new homes, which are badly needed in London.
 
This Assembly calls on the DLUHC to:
 
1)     Publish the guidance on second staircases as soon as possible, thereby commencing the transition period; and
 
2)      Shorten the 30-month transition period as much as possible to ensure that all schemes over 18m in height are constructed with a second staircase.”

Following debate and upon being put to a vote, the motion was agreed with 12 votes being cast in favour and no votes being cast against.