The Housing Fire and Building Safety Panel of Camden Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 28 January 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the panel's work over the past year, an update on structural surveys and assessments, and a report on compliance performance.

Annual Report - Work of the Panel & Terms of Reference Review

The panel will consider an annual report reviewing its activities over the preceding 12 months, as well as its terms of reference. The report notes that the pace of regulatory change has slowed as the government works through recommendations from the Phase 2 Grenfell Inquiry report. A timeline for implementing these recommendations runs from 2026 to 2029, with significant changes expected through primary legislation between 2027 and 2029. It is proposed to defer the review of the panel's terms of reference to a later meeting to allow for these potential changes to be incorporated. The report also details the panel's activity in 2025, which included discussing 18 reports and receiving monthly updates on the Council's performance against a Voluntary Undertaking on Fire Safety agreed with the Regulator of Social Housing. The panel is asked to review its activity against its objectives and agree to defer the review of its terms of reference.

Structural Surveys and Assessments

A report will be presented summarising Camden Council's intended approach to structural surveys and assessments. This is to ensure the council meets regulatory requirements, keeps residents safe in their homes, and prevents disrepair. The report outlines the council's long-standing cyclical stock condition survey programme and a more detailed discretionary survey programme for estate elements. It also details how new regulatory requirements, including the Building Safety Act 2022 and Awaab's Law, will be integrated. The new survey programme, set to go live in April 2026, will combine assessments for tall buildings, hazards under Awaab's Law, internal surveys of tenanted units, and detailed work for specific issues like subsidence. The report highlights the council's work on Building Safety Act structural assessments for its 188 high-rise buildings, with five Building Assessment Certificates¹ issued to date. Specific structural risks such as Large Panel System (LPS) buildings, Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), balconies, and structural steel in mansion blocks are also discussed.

Performance on Compliance Q2 2025/26

This report will provide an update on compliance across fire, legionella, asbestos, gas, electrics, and lifts (FLAGEL) for the housing portfolio for the second quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. It will also cover Q2 performance on safety Tenant Satisfaction Measures², progress on completing fire safety actions, and delivery against the Voluntary Undertaking agreed with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in November 2023. Updates on Building Safety Case³ submissions and performance against Awaab's Law⁴ will also be presented. Key figures show Tenant Satisfaction Measures for gas and fire safety checks are above 99%, while asbestos checks are at 100%. Electrical safety checks are at 92.25%, with an action plan in place to meet new regulations by May 2026. The report details progress on overdue fire risk actions, with a significant reduction noted. It also provides an update on Building Safety Case submissions, with four certificates issued and eight further submissions under review by the Building Safety Regulator. Performance against Awaab's Law is also detailed, showing progress in identifying and addressing hazards.

Forward Plan

The panel will consider a report suggesting a possible work programme for future meetings. The report indicates that the council is revising its cyclical structural survey programme to align with new building safety legislation and government consultations on the Decent Homes standard. The April 2026 meeting agenda will be limited due to the local government pre-election period, focusing on the LFB Annual Report, the Compliance Performance report, and the redefinition of High-Rise/Higher-Risk buildings. The work programme for future meetings includes updates on the Commercial Properties Compartmentation Programme, Grenfell Phase 2 inquiry recommendations, and the Chalcots Stage 2 Independent Review findings.