<p><span>The Housing Forum has written to the levelling up secretary to air its concerns over the government’s proposals for second staircases in tall residential buildings.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>Last month, levelling up secretary Michael Gove confirmed that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) </span><span><a href="http://www.house-builder.co.uk/news/govt-lowers-second-staircase-threshold">would lower the threshold for proposed second staircases in new residential buildings to above 18 metres.</a></span><span> </span><span></span></p> <p><span>This <a href="http://www.house-builder.co.uk/news/govt-proposes-second-staircase-towers-above-30m">follows a consultation in December on future changes to Part B,</a> which contained a proposal for an additional staircase to be built for safety purposes in buildings above 30m. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>In its letter, the Housing Forum, an industry-wide organisation which represents the entire housing supply chain, stated that with the changed height limit, “</span><span>a large number of additional buildings at different stages of development are now falling within scope”. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>It also pointed out the lack of technical clarity on the purpose of second staircases or their design requirements, eight months on from the consultation to which the industry is awaiting a response.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>The Housing Forum wrote: “The sector is struggling with the lack of a clear roadmap that sets out how these proposals fit within other building safety changes, giving certainty and confidence in investing for …