A new consensus framework for building control bodies and fire and rescue services will help resolve disagreements about plans for building work to meet fire safety requirements.
Government officials wrote to heads of building control and Chief Fire Officers last week to advise progress on one of the matters contained within its recent fire safety consultation.
task force
The consultation response, published by the government in March, noted a strong preference from respondents for the creation of a process to achieve consensus between building control and fire and rescue when considering plans for building works.
A task force made up of Local Authority Building Control (LABC), the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors (ACAI) was set up in the wake of the consultation to develop a sector-led approach. Fire and Rescue Service and Building Control – Achieving a Consensus is available on the LABC website.
framework
In the introduction, the jointly authored framework notes: “There may be rare occasions when consensus is not immediately reached. This document is intended to offer a framework for resolution of such situations by consensus decision making.”
It sets out a three-stage process to achieve consensus:
- Peer review of a case.
- A consensus Panel discussion with representatives from LABC, NFCC, and ACAI.
- Formal review by six members of the Consensus Panel (two representatives from each organization) to reach a consensus.
sector-led approach
Camilla Sheldon, Deputy Director of the Building Safety Programme in MHCLG wrote, “We welcome this sector-led approach to achieving consensus which appears to offer a practical solution to complement current arrangements and enables ownership to remain with Building Control Bodies and FRAs who are best placed to consider specific compliance issues."
“While the process is entered into on a voluntary basis it provides an important function in achieving consensus among different parties and we strongly encourage all parties to take up this new approach when required.”