Single Building Assessment Specification Task and Finish Group: final output and recommendations - March 2024

Annex A: Single Building Assessment (SBA)

Development of a Specification Task and Finish Group Terms of Reference

Introduction

The Cladding Remediation Programme began as a reactive policy intervention following the Grenfell tragedy in June 2017. The work was driven by the Ministerial Working Groups on Building and Fire Safety and then the more specific Ministerial Working Group on Mortgage Lending and Cladding (MLC).

The purpose of the Cladding Remediation Directorate is to make Scotland safer by reducing (mitigating) the risk associated with combustible cladding on multi-storey residential buildings.

Single Building Assessment (SBA)

The SBA is an integral part of cladding remediation in Scotland and in the Pilot to date has been largely based on various existing guidance. The Scottish Government has awarded the Joule Group a tender to fully develop the SBA for Scotland. A copy of the ask of the Specification is included in [Annex B].

As part of this specification development the Developer Remediation Contract group recommended that a successor Task and Finish Group should be set up that mirrors the previous Group that worked through remaining issues around the SBA. A copy of the recommendations of this group are included in [Annex C].

Purpose and objectives

The purpose of this group would be to input their perspective on the development of an SBA specification to ensure that what is produced is pragmatic and operationally deliverable. In doing so, it will provide a forum for the Scottish Government, developers, Homes for Scotland and key organisations to contribute to knowledge required for the development of the SBA specification.

The objectives for the Group are:

• To input their views on the development of the SBA specification in a Scottish context:
  • The basis (guidance) for assessment for cladding risk
  • Other fire safety risks at point of construction
  • Resolution for management / maintenance issues pre and post cladding remediation
  • Other issues identified
• To discuss each issue and where possible, seek resolution and recommendation a course of action to the Programme Board and Ministers.
• To seek to agree respective roles and responsibilities for key parties in the SBA specification.
• To work collaboratively to identify strategies and approaches to addressing key challenges or processes within the SBA.
• To agree outputs including any proposed resolutions or remaining challenges which will be fed into the Developer Remediation Contract Group, Programme Board, Ministers and the concurrent development of the SBA specification.

Membership and number of meetings

The subgroup shall be chaired by Jennifer Veitch, Deputy Director of Operational Delivery, Cladding Remediation Directorate, Scottish Government.

A proposed list of invitees is as follows:

• Jennifer Veitch (SG) (Chair)
• Rachel Sunderland / Amy Stuart / Nicola Pringle (SG) – Policy
• Christine McGregor (SG) – Head of Unit, Operation Delivery
• Jet Cameron (SG) – Head of Unit, Technical
• Brian Forsyth, Ross Henderson, Alexander Forsyth (SG) – Building Managers
• Rebecca Bicocchi (SG) – Operational Delivery
• Stephen Garvin – (SG) – Building Standards
• Homes for Scotland
• Taylor Wimpey
• Persimmon Homes
• Barratt Homes

The Group will meet over three sprint sessions with a 4th and final meeting to wrap up if required the specification will be developed alongside during the months of January / February and March by the Joule Group.

Outputs

The Group will produce an agreed final report which will note the key issues discussed, agreed resolutions, and where applicable, any remaining challenges. Key points from each meeting should be fed into the SBA specification development by the Joule Group.