01 August 2025
Islanders who live in tall residential buildings in Jersey, or are involved in their ownership or management, are to be consulted on a proposal from the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs to introduce new fire safety regulations for tall residential buildings in Jersey.
The proposed regulations would directly implement some of the key recommendations from
the Grenfell Tower Phase One inquiry report which are aimed at maintaining and where
necessary, improving safety for residents of tall residential buildings.
Tall residential buildings, TRBs, are defined, in Jersey as those buildings which are 11 metres
tall and above.
Typically, these are blocks of flats where there are five or more stories, including the ground
level. In some limited cases, this can include four-storey blocks of flats.
Jersey currently has more than 125 of these buildings providing homes to thousands of
islanders, including both renters and owner occupiers.
In the regulations, tall residential buildings are defined as buildings which meet all of the
following criteria:
- contains a top storey more than 11 metres above ground level
- contains two or more residential dwellings (typically flats)
- contains common parts through which residents evacuate in the case of an emergency
(typically shared corridors and stairways).
Speaking about the proposals, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Deputy Mary Le Hegarat,
said: “Islanders will recall that Grenfell Tower was a 24-floor tall block of flats in London in
which a significant fire occurred in 2017, leading to the tragic death of 72 people. Thankfully, no
similar fires have occurred here, but that does not mean we should not seek to make the places
where so many Islanders live as safe as possible."
In England, a similar set of regulations to those being proposed by the Minister were introduced
in January 2023 known as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Since the introduction of
the English regulations, Jersey’s Fire and Rescue Service has been working closely with local
property managers and building owner groups to implement the requirements on a voluntary
basis in their buildings.
This approach has allowed property managers and building owners to become more familiar
with the requirements and provided the Minister’s team with the opportunity to assess the
impact of the regulations in England before designing something similar for Jersey.
“Throughout this work, it has been clear that fire safety responsibilities are taken very seriously.
Approximately 19 per cent of Jersey’s tall residential buildings are estimated to be closely
meeting the English regulatory requirements, with some others partially achieving them.
“However, the fact that the requirements are currently voluntary risks investment and time
being de-prioritised in favour of other areas.”
While there has been no significant evidence of excessive fire risk, Jersey’s tall residential
buildings as a group are now at risk of falling behind similar buildings in England in three areas:
- The frequency of routine checks taking place on key fire safety features such as self-closing fire doors, fire service lifts, dry risers and smoke control systems and resolution
of any issues
- The provision of fire safety instructions to residents
- The quality of building information provided to the Fire Service to help them tackle fires
in tall residential buildings where the risk and complexity can be higher.
While Jersey’s building byelaws will have ensured tall residential buildings are built to local fire
safety standards, there is currently no dedicated Jersey fire safety law that requires these
buildings to manage and maintain their fire safety measures on an ongoing basis.
Deputy Le Hegarat added: “Creating regulations to implement some of the key building fire
safety recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Phase One inquiry report is a logical and
sensible step in the light of the inquiry's findings.”
States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service Area Commander, Jason Masterman said: “As
firefighters, our top priority is keeping Islanders safe, especially in the places they call home.
The proposed fire safety regulations for tall residential buildings are a vital step toward that
goal.
“They will ensure key safety features, like self-closing fire doors, smoke control systems, and
fire service lifts, are regularly checked and maintained. Residents will also receive clear fire
safety information, and our crews will have access to simple accurate building floor plans and
signposting to help them respond more effectively in emergencies.”
The consultation opens on Monday 4 August and will be available on gov.je.
gov.je