Building Safety – Second Staircase Amendments

The Housing Secretary recently updated its guidance calling for all new residential buildings exceeding a height of 18 metres to have a second staircase. These amendments have been made to improve evacuation procedures. 

Key Updates

The UK Government published Approved Document B (Fire Safety), which outlined the amendments that come into effect on 30th September 2026. This follows a 30-month transitional period in which key stakeholders are provided with the necessary time to comply with their obligations ahead of the deadline. Once this period of time is over, all applications must adhere to the new requirements.

“Any approved applications that do not follow the new guidance will have 18 months for construction to commence in earnest. If it does not, they will have to submit a new building regulations application, following the new guidance. Sufficient progress for this purpose will match the definition set out in the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023 and will therefore be when the pouring of concrete for either the permanent placement of trench, pad or raft foundations or for the permanent placement of piling has started.”

The updated guidance follows on from the UK Government’s previous consultation in 2022, where they proposed the inclusion of a second staircase in all buildings above 30 metres. As a result of the latest consultation, the threshold was reduced to 18 metres to provide alignment with the High-Risk Building threshold under the Building Safety Act and the Fire Safety Act.

Industry Concerns

There have been concerns from bodies, such as Home Builders Federation (HBF), National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), suggesting the new guidance falls short regarding no provision for an evacuation lift or a second fire-fighting shaft. RIBA believe that “both are vital for emergency evacuation and fire-fighting operations”. There are also concerns that the design guidance will result in potential delays to schemes.

Contact Us

If you require further guidance or support surrounding the latest amendments, please contact a member of our team.