Insights

Building Blocks: Waking Watch Replacement Fund ("WWRF") 2023

25/07/2023

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The Government announced the third WWRF, worth £18.6 million, on 25 May 2023. The WWRF is designed to fund the installation of alarms and reduce the prevalence of waking watch measures in all residential buildings in England.

Background:

The first WWRF was announced in May 2021 following the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent end of the 'Stay Put' fire strategy for buildings containing unsafe cladding.

Waking watch is a system whereby "suitably trained persons continually patrol all floors and the exterior perimeter of a building … to ensure there is sufficient warning in the event of a fire". The system is designed to be used temporarily before remedial work is carried out due to its high cost – the average cost for a monthly waking watch is £20,443 per building in London. (Gov.uk)

The WWRF's compared:

WWRF	Fund Amount	Eligibility
First WWRF – December 2020	£30 million, extended by £5 million in September 2021	High-rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding, where waking watches were in place at cost to leaseholders
Second WWRF – January 2022	£27 million	Expanded eligibility to all residential buildings (regardless of height) with a waking watch, where costs were being passed onto leaseholders.
Third or current WWRF – May 2023	£18.6 million	Expands support to more residential buildings, including purpose-built student accommodation ("PBSA"), where a waking watch is occurring due to "any fire safety defect". This fund is the first to apply regardless of where the costs of the waking watch may fall.

Eligibility for Third WWRF:

The building must be located in England;
The building must be a residential building, which includes student accommodation but excludes hotels;
The building must have a waking watch;
The installation of an alarm in the building must be enough to remove the need for the waking watch, save for in exceptional circumstances involving high risk buildings as may be approved at the discretion of the Secretary of State (and in which case the circumstances should outlined in the application);
The proposed alarm must meet the required standard, for example it should be designed in accordance with the recommendations of BS 5839-1 for a Category L5 system – in line with the guidance set out in the Simultaneous Evacuation Guidance of the National Fire Chiefs Council;
The costs must be reasonable, three quotes from different alarm installation companies will be required, and applicants must specify reasons for their preferred supplier; and
The building must not have received the benefit of funds from, and must not be the subject of an application to, the first or second WWRF.

If you have any further questions, please get in touch with your usual Howard Kennedy contact or the Building Safety Team.