Extension of deadlines for the Building Safety Fund and a £30 million fund to install fire alarms

An early Christmas present for some yesterday when the MHCLG announced that the deadlines for the Building Safety Fund were being extended and that there is to be an immediate £30 million fund for building owners to install fire alarms in high rise buildings awaiting remediation.

For many applicants who were waiting for confirmation as to whether their application would be accepted, this was a welcome update from MHCLG. The deadline for applications was originally 31 December 2020, but this has now been extended to 30 June 2021. Given the extensive information required by this deadline, including confirmation of a chosen contractor for remedial works and a detailed cost spreadsheet, this extension will allow many more applications for remedial works to be completed before the deadline. The MHCLG also announced a corresponding extension for remedial works to start on site, which was originally required by 31 March 2021 and has now been moved to 30 September 2021.

In the interim, MHCLG has announced an immediate £30 million fund for building owners to install fire alarms in high rise buildings awaiting remediation, with the intention that this will reduce the need for a ‘waking watch’, reducing costs for leaseholders.