Require evacuation plans for high-rise buildings
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to draw up and keep under regular review evacuation plans, copies of which are to be provided in electronic and paper form to their local fire and rescue service and placed in an information box on the premises.
How was this assessed?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThe government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners and managers through the Fire Safety Bill and Building Safety Bill, including requirements for premises information boxes, floor plans, lift inspections, fire door checks, evacuation signage, and fire safety instructions to residents.
Progress Timeline
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/797) were laid before Parliament on 4 July 2025 and come into force on 6 April 2026. The regulations mandate person-centred fire risk assessments and Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs) in high-rise and higher-risk residential buildings. This recommendation has been fully discharged. (Annual Report February 2026, Government Recommendation 59.)
In progress as of February 2025. The government has committed to introducing secondary legislation later in 2025 requiring building owners and managers to prepare and keep up-to-date evacuation plans for high-rise residential buildings. Progress is being monitored as part of MHCLG's Phase 2 progress reports.
Published Evidence
Published assessments of implementation progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Check the source type badge to see whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 laid 4 July 2025 by Alex Norris MP. Regulations come into force 6 April 2026. Requires building-level evacuation plans, personal emergency evacuation plans, and PEEP info in premises information boxes for high-rise buildings.