London mayor bans single-staircase tower blocks

All new residential buildings in London over 30m in height will now need two staircases, the mayor’s office has announced.

The rule change was introduced on 10 February with immediate effect, and will apply to any fresh planning application for residential schemes of more than about 10 storeys, according to Construction News’ sister publication, Architects’ Journal.

The new rule comes almost two months after the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) called on the UK government to mandate a second staircase on all new towers exceeding 18m.

Under current planning law in England, tall buildings only require a single stair, while in Scotland, a second stair has been necessary since 2019 for buildings reaching above 18m (about seven storeys).

Last month, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities launched a 12-week consultation on updating the current rules, including a proposal that residential buildings above 30m should have two staircases.

The department said at the time that it was “concerned that some tall residential buildings are being designed with a single staircase without due consideration by the designers on the level of safety provided”.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has effectively preempted the government’s proposed changes. A spokesperson said: “The mayor has consistently expressed concerns that the fire-safety requirements in the national building regulations are not fit for purpose, so the proposed strengthened requirements and clear direction at the national level are strongly supported.”

The authority said it would work with London councils to ensure schemes in the pipeline include two staircases. Buildings with only one staircase that were approved before 23 December 2022 are still eligible for GLA affordable-housing grants.

Clients such as Ballymore and Camden Council have recently inserted second staircases into plans for new high rises, but other tower schemes – such as at Enfield Council’s Meridian Water – have been approved with only one staircase.

Adam West, director at architecture practice CZWG, said it is likely that existing projects with permission “will need to go back to planning”.

“The speculation needs to end and a consistent decision finalised so the industry can move on,” said West. “Existing projects with planning permission will need to go back to planning and are likely to become unviable.

“We’re currently designing-in second staircases to buildings over 18m that have planning, and adding more floors to the towers to compensate. As for new projects, there are so many challenges to viability at the moment, the lack of certainty just makes it worse.”

Single-stair fire escapes came under the spotlight after the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017, in which 72 people died.

But Mary-Anne Bowring, managing director at residential property group Ringley Group, said some developers would be “seething” at the need to redesign schemes about to go into planning, despite acknowledging the importance of fire regulations.

“Developers in the middle of the planning process will be seething at the prospect of going back to square one,” she said, “and the implications of that will be felt on the supply of new homes in the midst of a housing crisis.

“There is also a real risk that other fundamental safety measures like sprinkler systems, fire doors and equipment maintenance might take a back seat if the building of a second staircase means developers start taking their eye off the detail. These are real risks the GLA must address quickly but thoroughly.”