London Assembly demands changes to building regulations on fire safety

The London Assembly has called on its planning and housing committee to investigate fire safety and consider whether possible changes should be made to building regulations.

The unanimous motion follows a series of fires in the capital involving tall and timber-frame constructions. The assembly cited incidents such as the 2006 Colindale fire, when a six-story timber-framed building burned to the ground in less than nine minutes, and a recent fire in Peckham involving timber-framed buildings under construction.

The planning and housing committee should make recommendations to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and the government, the motion said.

Darren Johnson, chair of the London Assembly, said: “The tragic deaths of six people at the Lakanal House fire last July and a series of recent blazes involving timber-framed buildings have all too graphically highlighted the vital importance of fire safety when designing and building people’s homes. An Assembly probe into how such incidents might be avoided in the future is the least we can do to minimise the fire risks to Londoners.”