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The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has warned that deep-rooted flaws in the UK’s building safety system are hindering efforts to make homes safe, calling for urgent government intervention ahead of the forthcoming Remediation Bill.
Launching its new Remediation Position Statement, the council said relying on fire and rescue services to enforce what it described as a “broken regime” is unsustainable, urging ministers to create a centrally coordinated programme to address compliance, funding, accountability, and workforce shortages.
While the NFCC welcomed the government’s Remediation Acceleration Plan—which aims to complete safety work on all high-rise (18m+) buildings by 2029 and medium-rise (11m+) buildings by 2031—it warned that major barriers persist. The number of affected buildings remains uncertain, with recent estimates fluctuating between 5,900 and 12,000, and nearly two-thirds of the 5,554 buildings in the public remediation portfolio still awaiting completion. The Government’s current working figure stands at around 9,000 buildings.
Funding arrangements remain fragmented, the NFCC said, with many schemes limited to cladding-related defects and leaving other serious safety issues unresolved. Complex eligibility criteria based on tenure, height, or materials have also left many buildings in limbo, prolonging risks for residents.
The council also highlighted financial pressures on fire and rescue services, estimating that inspecting all affected buildings could cost between £29.86m and £61.77m—depending on the final number in scope—with a current working estimate of £46.11m for 9,000 buildings. This comes as many services face real-terms budget cuts, potentially affecting oversight of other high-risk sites such as hospitals and care homes.
Workforce shortages are another major concern. The NFCC reports that fewer than 30 fully competent fire engineers currently serve in English fire and rescue services, while fire safety professionals account for just 2.7% of the total workforce. Broader industry capacity is also under pressure, with the Chartered Institute of Building estimating a shortfall of 250,000 construction workers.
NFCC Chair Phil Garrigan said the Grenfell Tower fire exposed “fundamental flaws” in the nation’s approach to building safety. “Eight years on, progress is not where it should be,” he said. “We must tackle the root causes—fragmented oversight, weak regulation, and chronic gaps in workforce, funding and data. Fire risk must be embedded into every stage of building safety, not left to emergency response.”
He added that stronger regulation is essential to prevent future disasters. “The Grenfell Tower fire showed us, in the most devastating way, what happens when building regulations are too weak to protect people. We cannot allow that lesson to be ignored.”
In its statement, the NFCC called on the government to establish a centrally-led, risk-based remediation programme; create a national construction skills strategy; ensure funding covers both internal and external defects; review building regulations guidance to make it enforceable and risk-based; clarify the Building Safety Regulator’s enforcement powers; and implement the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations in full.
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