Approved Document B (Fire Safety): new updates to support enhanced fire safety
Published 2 September 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/amendments-to-approved-document-b-fire-safety-circular-and-letter/approved-document-b-fire-safety-new-updates-to-support-enhanced-fire-safety
To:
The Chief Executive
Unitary, Metropolitan, District and London Borough Councils in England County and County Borough Councils in Wales
The Town Clerk, City of London
The Clerk, Council of the Isles of Scilly
The Sub-Treasurer, Inner Temple
The Under Treasurer, Middle Temple
The Head of Building Control
Unitary Metropolitan, District and London Borough Councils in England County and County Borough Councils in Wales
City of London
Council of the Isles of Scilly
Registered building control approvers
cc: The Chief Executive:
County Councils in England
National Park Authorities in England & Wales
Chair: National Fire Chiefs Council
2 September 2024
New updates to Approved Document B (Fire Safety) to support enhanced fire safety
I am writing to inform you of the publication of three amendment booklets updating the guidance in Approved Document B:
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The first amendment booklet (2025 Approved Document B amendment booklet) accompanies Circular number 03/2024 and contains amendments coming into force on 2 March 2025 (subject to transitional provisions). The amendments in this booklet include the removal of references to BS 476 in relation to reaction to fire and roofs and introduce new guidance around the provision of sprinklers in care homes.
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The second amendment booklet (2026 Approved Document B amendment booklet) accompanies Circular number 04/2024 and contains amendments coming into force on 30 September 2026 (subject to transitional provisions). This booklet includes amendments in relation to second staircases in 18m+ residential buildings that were originally published in the amendment booklet accompanying Circular 01/2024.
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The third amendment booklet (2029 Approved Document B amendment booklet) accompanies Circular number 05/2024 and contains amendments coming into force on 2 September 2029 (subject to transitional provisions). This booklet contains the removal of references to BS 476 in relation to fire resistance.
This letter provides critical information on the amendments to the guidance as well as the associated transitional arrangements. This letter also gives notification of the replacement of circular 01/2024 with circular 04/2024. This was deemed appropriate in order that the circulars introduce changes that occur in chronological order. The changes described in circular 03/2024 such as those relating to sprinklers in care homes will take effect in 2025. The changes relating to second staircases take effect in 2026 and will now be associated with circular 04/2024.
Scope of this Circular letter
The updates to the Approved Document B guidance apply to buildings and building work in England. This circular letter gives an overview of the amendments brought forward and the associated transitional arrangements. Building control bodies should familiarise themselves with the following documents:
- Approved Document B amendment booklet that takes effect on 2 March 2025
- Approved Document B amendment booklet that takes effect on 30 September 2026
- Approved Document B amendment booklet that takes effect on 2 September 2029
Fire safety: Approved Document B
MHCLG Circulars
- 03/2024
- 04/2024
- 05/2024
Building regulations: divisional circular letters - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- The government response to consultation
Sprinklers in care homes
Coming into force
The amendments bringing in these changes to the guidance are included in the Approved Document B amendment booklet that takes effect on 2 March 2025.
Description of the changes
Following consultation, the government has decided to extend the provision of sprinklers in Approved Document B to all new care homes irrespective of height. The changes to the guidance also remove previous allowances associated with the provision of sprinklers in care homes.
New care homes will be expected to limit compartment sizes to 10 beds while ensuring self-closing devices are fitted to doors.
Transitional arrangements
The changes highlighted in this amendment booklet take effect on 2 March 2025 for use in England.
The 2019 edition incorporating the 2020 and 2022 amendments will continue to apply where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to, or a building control approval application with full plans made to, the relevant authority before 2 March 2025 and either the building work to which it relates:
a. has started and is sufficiently progressed before that day; or
b. has started and is sufficiently progressed within the period of six months beginning on that day.
National classes
Introduction
Currently, Approved Document B operates a dual system for reaction to fire and roofs and fire resistance testing and classification for construction products. This includes both the National Classes (BS 476) and the European Standard (BS EN 13501 series).
The National Classes are seldom used by industry, but certain sectors still rely on fire resistance tests for their products. Recognising the specific needs for these parts of industry, we are implementing changes to the guidance in two stages - first removing references to BS 476 associated with reaction to fire and roofs then in a later stage removing references to BS 476 associated with fire resistance.
Reaction to fire
Coming into force
The amendments bringing changes to the guidance are included in Approved Document B that takes effect on 2 March 2025.
Description of the changes
The update to guidance removes the national classification system (BS476) for reaction to fire and roofs from Approved Document B, which provides statutory guidance for fire safety in new building work.
The European Standard (BS EN), deemed more current and robust than the National Classes, will be the sole route of specification within Approved Document B for reaction to fire and roofs classifications.
Transitional arrangements
The changes highlighted in this amendment booklet take effect on 2 March 2025 for use in England. The 2019 edition incorporating the 2020 and 2022 amendments will continue to apply where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to, or a building control approval application with full plans made to, the relevant authority before 2 March 2025 and either the building work to which it relates:
a. has started and is sufficiently progressed before that day; or
b. has started and is sufficiently progressed within the period of six months beginning on that day.
Fire resistance
Coming into force
The amendments bringing changes to the guidance are included in amendment booklet ‘2029 Approved Document B amendment booklet’ and come into force on 2 September 2029.
Description of the changes
The update to guidance removes the national classification system (BS 476) for fire resistance from Approved Document B, which provides statutory guidance for fire safety in new building work.
The European Standard (BS EN), deemed more current and robust than the National Classes, will be the sole route of specification within Approved Document B for fire resistance classifications.
Transitional arrangements
The changes highlighted in this amendment booklet take effect on 2 September 2029 for use in England. The 2019 edition incorporating the 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026 amendments will continue to apply where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to, or a building control approval application with full plans made to, the relevant authority before 2 September 2029 and either the building work to which it relates:
a. has started and is sufficiently progressed before that day; or
b. has started and is sufficiently progressed within the period of six months beginning on that day.
Consequential amendment and summary of transitional arrangements
The department is withdrawing circular 01/2024 and the notices of approval and withdrawal that accompanied it and issuing circular 04/2024 and the associated amendment booklet in its place. This was deemed appropriate in order that the circulars introduce changes that occur in chronological order. The changes described in circular 03/2024 such as those relating to sprinklers in care homes will take effect in 2025. The changes relating to second staircases take effect in 2026 and will now be associated with circular 04/2024. The changes described in circular 01/2024 had not yet come into force and have been replaced by circular 04/2024 and the changes made by the notices that accompany it. Therefore, the withdrawal of circular 01/2024 and its notices will have no practical impact. Minor typographical errors were also corrected.
2025 Approved Document B amendment booklet also includes updates relating to Regulation 38 reflecting the latest changes to the regulations following the implementation of the Building Safety Act and ensures that guidance remains current.
The following table provides an overview of the transitional arrangements above.
| Name of amendment booklet | Content* | Coming into force * | Amending previous Approved Document B version: | Period to deposit application* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Approved Document B amendments booklet | Removal of references to BS476 in relation to reaction to fire and roofs Sprinklers in care homes Consequential amendment to Regulation 38 |
2 March 2025 | Amending Approved Document B 2019 incorporating the 2020 and 2022 amendments | 6 months |
| 2026 Approved Document B amendments booklet | Second stair provisions in residential buildings over 18m in height. | 30 September 2026 | Amending Approved Document B 2019 incorporating the 2020, 2022 and 2025 amendments | 18 months |
| 2029 Approved Document B amendments booklet | Removal of references to BS476 in relation to fire resistance. | 2 September 2029 | Amending Approved Document B 2019 incorporating the 2020, 2022, 2025 and 2026 amendments | 6 months |
*For the detail of the content and transitional arrangement please refer to the relevant documentation
Please note that for the purpose of all the amendments highlighted above:
1) ‘building notice’, ‘initial notice’ and ‘building control approval application with full plans’ have the same meaning as in the Building Regulations 2010.
2) building work is to be regarded as ‘sufficiently progressed’:
a) where the building work consists of the construction of a building, when the pouring of concrete for the permanent placement of the trench, pad or raft foundations has started, or the permanent placement of piling has started; or
b) where the building work consists of work to an existing building, when that
work has started; or
c) where the building work consists of a material change of use of a building,
when work to effect that change of use has stated.
Enquiries
Enquires relating to this letter should be made to:
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Fry Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Tel: 0303 444 0000
E-mail: buildingassurance@communities.gov.uk
Yours faithfully,
John Palmer