Progress of the Single Building Assessment process and remediation of timber decking: EIR release

Information requested

Following-up from the attached response, which confirmed that timber decking would be included in remediation works, our constituent has requested we contact you in the hopes of receiving an update on the progress of the Single Building Assessments, specifically:

1. Number of developments where SBA process has commenced;

2. Number of developments where remediation works have begun or are completed;

3. Whether any remediation of timber decking has been / is due to be carried out.

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test.’ Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Question 1. “Number of developments where SBA process has commenced”.

30 have undergone an assessment as part of the original pilot programme. However these assessments will require to be ‘refreshed’ if they were carried out prior to the SBA specification being finalised. This specification was published on 21 June 2024 at Single Building Assessment Specification (SBA) (gov.scot).

Question 2. “Number of developments where remediation works have begun or are completed”.

We are aware of 5 currently undergoing remedial works

In line with our privacy policy and requests from homeowners and residents, both to protect their privacy and for the safety of their buildings, we do not publicly name or share buildings within the programme, or release details of work being undertaken on individual buildings.

The Cladding Remediation Programme is a demand-led programme dealing with complex assessment, mitigation and – where needed – remediation. We are aware that other buildings may well be in the process of remediation which is being led by developers but do not hold information on how many this is likely to involve.

Question 3. “ Whether any remediation of timber decking has been/ is due to be carried out”.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested at question 3. Therefore, we are refusing your request under the exception at regulations 10(4)(a) and 11 (2) of the EIRs. The reasons why these exceptions apply are explained in the Annex to this letter.

The Scottish Government is however, committed to remediating cladding that poses a fire risk in buildings across Scotland. The Cladding Remediation Programme considers that wooden cladding, including on balcony structures, will be within scope and included as part of the building assessment process.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

EIR 202400422447 - Information released - Annex

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