The Disability Oversight Panel of Camden Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 4 February 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a discussion on new regulations concerning Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and the council's action plan for their implementation.

Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans

A significant item on the agenda is the report from the Director of Property Management regarding new Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEPs) Regulations. These regulations are set to come into force in April 2026 and will introduce new responsibilities for landlords, including Camden Council, to provide tailored evacuation plans for residents who may have difficulty evacuating a building in the event of a fire.

The report outlines the details of these new regulations, which apply to high-rise residential buildings and other specified residential buildings over a certain height or with simultaneous evacuation strategies in place. The regulations mandate a five-step process for Responsible Persons (RPs), which includes Camden Council for its own housing stock. This process involves identifying residents who may need assistance, undertaking a person-centred fire risk assessment if requested by the resident, and mitigating any identified risks. RPs are also required to agree on emergency evacuation statements with residents and to share relevant information with the local fire and rescue authority, provided they have the resident's consent.

The report details Camden Council's action plan for implementing these regulations. This includes information being made available on the Camden website, Building Safety Managers collecting information from residents, and Neighbourhood housing teams checking with residents during home visits. The council has also developed a digital tool to help colleagues flag residents who may require evacuation assistance, and to record data for person-centred fire risk assessments. As of early July, the council had received 277 responses to its evacuation assistance outreach project.

The report also touches upon the government's commitment to providing a fund for social landlords to cover the costs of introducing PEEPs for rented properties, though details on what this fund will cover are still emerging. The council's next steps include continuing with person-centred fire risk assessments and potentially engaging external surveying companies to further assess residents' needs. Information will be shared with the fire brigade, initially via Secure Information Boxes, and potentially via an online portal in the future. The project is also set to expand to include buildings with simultaneous evacuation strategies in place.

The report includes comments from the Borough Solicitor, who notes that future primary legislation will require RPs to consider fire safety risks within a resident's domestic premises as part of the person-centred fire risk assessment. The Director of Finance confirms that there are currently no direct financial implications arising from this report, and any necessary investment will be handled through the council's normal governance arrangements. An appendix to the report provides the government's Residential PEEPs: Factsheet, which offers detailed guidance on the regulations.