Prompted by last year’s Grenfell Tower fire, James Brokenshire MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has placed a ban on combustible cladding on new developments. This change in regulationwill affect residential high rises, student accommodation, care homes and hospitals which are over 18 meters tall. Cladding that falls outside of the Class A1 or A2 European classification rating is now banned.
This change will have a significant impact on the insurance market’s approach to writing cover for cladding and high-rise projects.
Policyholders have a duty of “fair representation” with their insurance, which means they must provide insurers with accurate, up-to-date information that the policyholder knows or ought to know. Any failure to do so may affect cover. Regarding existing policies, some insurers may request more information before renewing the policy. As such, we recommend providing further consideration of the following factors:
- Sprinkler systems
- Hot work permits
- Existing fire detection systems
- Inspection, maintenance and general condition of your cladding system.
- Emergency evacuation procedures.
*http://www.constructionmanagermagazine.com/management/insurance-implications-cladding-projects-post-gren/
For more information, please see our Tower Block Safety guidance
