Around 123,632 new homes – or 243 buildings – in London could be significantly delayed or completely mothballed due to the new fire regulations applicable to all developments of 30m (10 storeys) or above, according to research undertaken by Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) and Connells.
Many residential schemes in London that are currently awaiting determination or construction were designed and costed before the new regulations requiring two stair cores came into effect and some of these scheme may need to be redesigned, which could have an impact on their viability.
Mary-Jane O’Neill, head of planning (London and South East) at LSH, said: “Given the tragic circumstances that led to the revision of fire safety regulations, there are few plausible grounds on which to oppose their implementation. But all of us involved in the process of development do need to process their implications and come up with some pragmatic solutions as a priority.”
O’Neill said one solution would be for local authorities to “get more creative” with their allocation of land and to look for density in other ways, rather than going vertical.
O’Neill added: “This is likely to be particularly challenging as the battle for land has intensified in the face of increased demand for industrial and logistics space. However, there is no silver bullet on the horizon that will unlock the uncertainty surrounding tall buildings and housebuilders are unlikely to go back to the drawing board on these schemes until there is much more clarity around the required design standards. In the meantime, local authorities need to maintain a dialogue with developers and work with them to optimise existing sites and potentially release more land and opportunities.”
