**Major Fires Still a Risk Under ‘Spineless’ New Safety Law, Construction Boss Warns**
In a recent statement, David Jones, the president of the Institute of Construction Management, has expressed strong criticism regarding the proposed government safety guidelines for multi-storey residential buildings, which aim to amend fire safety protocols following the Grenfell Tower disaster. The guidance, which is currently under consultation, has been described by Jones as “loose,” “spineless,” and “open to interpretation,” raising significant concerns about fire safety compliance across the housing sector.
Jones highlights that the laws allow for too many “tolerable” risks, particularly those permitting the use of flammable materials in building structures. For instance, existing regulations may allow combustible materials in window systems and between floors, despite their potential to facilitate the spread of fire. After an extensive tenure of over fifty years in the construction industry, Jones stressed that such leniency essentially enables developers to circumvent stringent safety measures, potentially resulting in catastrophic events.
This critique comes at a time when the UK government is attempting to introduce legislation transforming the post-Grenfell fire safety guidance into binding law. According to government officials, these updated guidelines represent a balanced approach designed to tackle the ongoing flammable cladding crisis that has affected numerous high-rise buildings across the nation. Government representatives assure that formalizing these guidelines will provide clarity on what fire safety defects must be remedied.
However, Jones remains unconvinced. He argues that the current guidelines—officially known within the industry as PAS 9980—repeatedly employ the term “tolerable,” which appears multiple times throughout the document, raising alarms among cladding campaigners. As it stands, certain combustible materials can be classified as acceptable as long as they meet subjective safety assessments that do not adequately mandate transparent fire test safety data.
Furthermore, Jones criticizes the government’s focus on exterior facades alone, neglecting critical internal fire safety issues that have surfaced within many tower blocks since the Grenfell tragedy. The government has robustly dismissed Jones’s assertions, insisting that the proposed law would eliminate unnecessary disturbances for residents and streamline the process for addressing fire safety concerns.
Contrary to prior expectations, progress in rectifying the flammable cladding situation has been slow since the Grenfell tragedy, which occurred almost eight years ago. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Housing, only 475 of the identified 5,500 unsafe blocks have been completely renovated and certified as secure over the past year. In total, significant strides have been taken in replacing cladding throughout 35% of these high-risk buildings.
Residents’ representatives have voiced their worry that any flammable materials lingering in these constructed environments could lead to depressed fire safety ratings, exposing residents to inflated insurance premiums. The government, on its part, has delegated the responsibility to the insurance industry, stating that premiums would be adjusted once buildings have received certification as safe. However, the insurance sector has indicated that the presence of combustible materials will influence their pricing strategies, ensuring that risks are adequately covered.
As the consultation period for the new fire safety guidelines continues until December 31, 2025, there remain significant implications for property owners, residents, and the broader construction industry. Critics maintain that reliance on the term “tolerable” opens the door for potential regulatory loopholes, and there is a prevailing concern about the long-term safety of occupants in these structures.
The impending legislation proposed for 2026 is set to redefine the landscape of fire safety compliance in the UK, with advocates for stronger regulation urging professionals and residents alike to remain vigilant during this critical period for assessing government commitments to safety standards.
