IN Brief:
- A government consultation proposes recommending evacuation lifts in residential buildings above 18m in England.
- The review also covers external walls, balconies, roofs with solar PV, specialised housing, and open-sided car parks.
- The changes would push fire safety coordination earlier into tall residential design, alongside wider Approved Document B updates already in train.
The latest consultation on Approved Document B, published by the Building Safety Regulator and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, proposes recommending evacuation lifts in residential buildings above 18m and clarifying the guidance for non-residential buildings. If adopted, the change would extend a design expectation already familiar in London into the wider English residential market.
The consultation is broader than vertical transport. It proposes technical clarifications and updates covering existing buildings, a threshold on the use of combustible elements of structure, revised guidance on external wall systems and balconies, updated roof guidance including solar photovoltaic panels, and increased structural fire resistance ratings for open-sided car parks.
Housing terminology is also being revised, with “sheltered housing” replaced by “specialised housing”, alongside proposals for extended alarm coverage in those premises. For project teams, the review is therefore not a single-issue lift change but part of a wider redraw of how fire safety guidance applies across housing, refurbishment, façades, and roof design.
The consultation also lands alongside other Approved Document B changes already mapped into the guidance. Published amendment material shows changes due to take effect on 30 September 2026 covering second stairs in blocks of flats above 18m and design provisions supporting the use of evacuation lifts.
The consultation applies to England and closes at 11:59pm on 17 June 2026. Responses can be submitted through the consultation page.
