Proposals to amend Approved Document B

Elliott Wood is committed to delivering sustainable and resilient structures that create safe spaces where communities can flourish. To enable this, we need a solid backbone of sensible planning guidance that drives excellence, bound by essential guardrails to protect citizens.

The UK Government is currently consulting on updates to Approved Document B, which governs fire safety in building regulations, with significant implications for the use of structural timber in buildings over 11 metres.

There is a substantial body of fire testing and engineering guidance showing that fire safety in high-rise mass timber construction can be achieved through robust design and appropriate fire protection measures.

The proposed changes to Approved Document B pose a backwards step in UK construction, which lags behind the rest of Europe in its adoption of timber and other biobased materials, essential for tackling the climate crisis.

It is vital to recognise that it is the poorest communities that are most vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate such as overheating homes, flooding, rising food prices and air pollution.

Construction is a massive contributor to climate change and addressing this is essential if we are to avoid the worst impacts. We believe the Government's proposals are short sighted and must instead focus on enabling the use of construction methods that are both fire safe to the highest standard possible and environmentally sustainable.

Clear, robust guidance aligned with safe design practice should be informed by scientific evidence, expert knowledge and practical experience and as such, we have chosen to respond to the consultation and publish our response here to encourage others.