Single Building Assessment Task and Finish Group: final output and recommendations - December 2023

Annex A: Single Building Assessment Task & 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 core commitments driving the programme today have not changed since the MLC concluded its work. The programme focuses on safety considerations and the direct financial impact associated with properties that are considered by the UK finance industry not to be suitable security.

Since June 2021, the Single Building Assessment (SBA) has been an integral part of the Programme, with the aim of identifying buildings with problematic external cladding which require remedial works. SBAs:

• Identify life critical fire safety risks, and any mitigation or remediation that is required to move risks to a building from high risk to low risk
• Are carried out on a building-by-building basis and in line with the most current building standards
• Are procured and produced at no cost to homeowners and residents
• Are carried out by qualified, insured specialists

As of 2022, there are 105 buildings across Scotland included on an SBA pilot. A joint roundtable held in October 2023 and attended by Scottish Government, developers, and representative body Homes for Scotland, advised that several issues remain with the SBA process that need addressed before it can be progressed at pace.

Objectives

The purpose of this Group is to provide a forum for Developers, Homes for Scotland, the Scottish Government and key organisations to discuss outstanding issues around the SBA process which require resolution to enable progress with the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord Developer contracts.

The objectives for the Group are:

• To seek to resolve outstanding issues related to the SBA process
• To discuss each issue and where possible, seek resolution
• To seek to agree respective roles and responsibilities for key parties in the SBA process
• To work collaboratively to identify strategies and approaches to addressing key challenges or processes within the SBA as future processes are embedded
• To agree outputs including any proposed resolutions or remaining challenges which will be fed into the contract negotiations ahead of the Ministerial Roundtable discussed due to be convened in December 2023

Scope

The Group will be a technical subgroup of the Developer Contract Negotiation group. It will focus on outstanding issues relating to the SBA process within the Cladding Remediation Programme. Key topics to be covered include but not limited to:

• SBA process from start to finish
• Developer-led SBA
• Tolerable risk
• Key documents required for a full SBA
• Standards, compliance and assurance
• Position on SBAs commissioned before proposed legislation comes into effect

Where any additional issues are identified, they will be recorded in meeting minutes and addressed in the final output.

Outputs

The Group will produce a final report which notes the key issues discussed, agreed resolutions and where applicable, any remaining challenges. This report will be submitted to the Developer Contract Negotiations group ahead of the Ministerial roundtable in December. The group will be advisory and not a decision-making group; decisions on the SBA will be for Ministers.

Structure of the Task and Finish Group

The Group meetings will be chaired by Jennifer Veitch, Deputy Director of Operational Delivery, Cladding Remediation Directorate (SG). SG officials will provide secretariat support to the group including setting up meetings, preparing the agenda, coordinating meeting papers and preparing meeting notes. Members can comment on meeting notes in advance of finalisation.

All meeting papers may be subject to Freedom of Information requests under Freedom of Information Scotland Act and / or the Environmental Information Regulations and therefore proactive publication of meeting notes may be undertaken within 12 weeks.

The Group would meet over the course of 3 workshop-style sessions. These sessions would be held on the dates proposed below, alongside other key meetings the Group will work to:

• 1^st session: Placeholder w/c 6^th November
• 2^nd session: Placeholder w/c 13^th November
• 3^rd session: Placeholder w/c 20^th November

Membership

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

Membership of the Group shall be made up of individuals who have attended previous roundtable discussions on the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord, as well as representatives from the Scottish Government policy and delivery teams.

A proposed list of invitees is as follows and includes developers who attended the September roundtable and raised issues they wished to discuss further on the SBA:

• Jennifer Veitch (SG) (Chair)
• Rachel Sunderland / Amy Stuart (SG)
• Stephen Garvin (SG)
• Jet Cameron (SG)
• Nicola Pringle (SG)
• Rebecca Bicocchi (SG)
• Taylor Wimpey
• Persimmon Homes
• Barratt Homes
• Stewart Milne Group
• Homes for Scotland

Conclusion of the Task and Finish Group

The Group will be concluded after the third session has been held and all outputs delivered to the Developer Contract Negotiations Group.