February 11, 2025
London’s fire commissioner has raised concerns that tall buildings are still being constructed with significant safety risks.
Andy Roe informed members of the London Assembly’s Fire Committee on 14 January that a shortage of skills and resources is causing guidance to be overlooked during construction.
He explained that a recent inspection, carried out jointly with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) under Gateway 3 of the Building Safety Act, revealed several serious issues.
Roe emphasized that fire safety should be addressed much earlier in the building development process. “This system needs to be viewed as an end-to-end process, from the skills people bring to the construction site to the actual building itself. You need individuals who can build safely and correctly,” he said.
Roe also shared that of the 1,329 buildings in London designated for simultaneous evacuation, only 179 had the controversial ACM cladding seen on Grenfell Tower. “This highlights the need for competent professionals from the outset of any construction project,” he added.
The government and the mayor’s office have been contacted for comment.
