With immediate effect, all planning applications for residential buildings above 30 metres in London must now include a second staircase before they can be referred to the Greater London Authority for Stage 2 approval. 

It follows the government’s recent consultation on amendments to Approved Document B of the Building Regulations. Published on 23 December 2022, the consultation proposes making second staircases in buildings over 30 metres in England a mandatory requirement. Now the mayor has made the government proposal mandatory for all new buildings in London that fit that description.

The National Fire Chiefs Council called on the government to introduce a requirement for second staircases in buildings over 18 metres in height while RIBA has been calling for a secondary means of escape for all high-rise buildings since 2018. 

The GLA’s planning team is working with the boroughs to progress schemes which are currently in the pipeline to ensure they include two staircases where necessary before any Stage 2 referral.

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