Approved Document B Consultation: What Commercial Building Owners Should Be Preparing For Before the June Deadline

TL;DR

• The government's Approved Document B consultation closes in June 2026, proposing changes to fire safety standards across commercial buildings in England

• Key proposed updates include stricter fire compartmentation requirements, revised evacuation strategy guidance, and extended sprinkler thresholds

• Commercial building owners should review their fire risk assessments and passive fire protection measures now, before the changes are finalised

• Buildings already compliant with robust passive fire protection standards are better positioned for whatever the final document requires

• Responding to the consultation gives building owners a formal voice in shaping how the final guidance is written

What Is the Approved Document B Consultation?

Approved Document B (ADB) provides guidance on meeting Part B of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010. It is divided into two volumes: Volume 1 covers dwellings and Volume 2 covers buildings other than dwellings - the volume of direct relevance to most commercial premises.

The current review is being led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), drawing on recommendations from Phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the work of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC). The proposed revisions represent the most significant update to ADB in over a decade. The consultation is open to building owners, developers, facilities managers, fire safety professionals, and members of the public.

Why This Consultation Matters Beyond Residential Buildings

The post-Grenfell narrative has centred on residential high-rise, but the ADB review addresses fire safety standards across all building types covered by the document. Volume 2, which applies to commercial, educational, healthcare, and mixed-use premises, includes proposals that directly affect how compartmentation, escape routes, and fire suppression systems should be designed and maintained.

For commercial building owners, the consultation is not simply a policy exercise happening in the background. It signals where regulatory expectations are heading - and buildings that fall short of the proposed new standards today are likely to face compliance obligations in the near future.

Key Proposed Changes in the Approved Document B Review

Fire Compartmentation Requirements

One of the most substantive proposed changes relates to fire compartmentation. The consultation proposes clearer and more rigorous guidance on how compartment walls and floors should be constructed and maintained, with particular attention to service penetrations - the points where cables, pipes, ducts, and conduits pass through compartment boundaries.

Service penetrations are one of the most common weak points identified in fire safety audits of existing commercial buildings. The proposed changes would tighten the standards applied to penetration sealing and increase the scrutiny placed on this area during building control and inspection.

Evacuation Strategy Guidance

Current ADB guidance offers flexibility around evacuation strategy depending on building type and occupancy. The consultation proposes more prescriptive guidance on when simultaneous evacuation should be required, as opposed to phased evacuation or a stay-put strategy.

For commercial buildings currently operating on a phased or zoned evacuation strategy - particularly multi-occupied or multi-tenanted buildings - this may require a review of the fire risk assessment and the fire emergency plan to ensure the current approach remains justifiable under the proposed updated guidance.

Sprinkler System Thresholds

The consultation considers extending the threshold requirements for automatic fire suppression systems to additional building types and floor area thresholds. While current regulations already require sprinklers in certain high-rise premises and specific high-risk uses, the proposals indicate a broader push toward suppression system provision across commercial building categories.

Building owners planning significant refurbishments, extensions, or changes of use should factor the potential for updated sprinkler thresholds into their project planning at the earliest stage. Retrofitting suppression systems after construction is substantially more costly than designing them in from the outset.

Accessible Evacuation and Refuge Provisions

The consultation also addresses accessible evacuation, particularly for buildings regularly used by members of the public or those with mobility impairments. Proposed guidance includes more detailed specification for evacuation lifts, refuge areas, and assistance systems to ensure that all occupants can evacuate effectively.

Commercial buildings with multiple storeys and significant public footfall - including offices, retail premises, and leisure facilities - should review whether their current evacuation provisions for mobility-impaired occupants would meet the proposed standards.

Who Is Most Affected?

The proposed ADB revisions will have the greatest practical impact on:

• Owners of existing commercial buildings planning refurbishment, extension, or change of use

• Developers working on new commercial, mixed-use, or industrial schemes

• Facilities and property managers responsible for ongoing fire safety compliance in complex or multi-occupied premises

• Building owners whose current fire risk assessment predates recent changes in fire safety guidance

Even if a building is not currently subject to enforcement action or a scheduled refurbishment, the consultation provides a clear signal of where expectations are heading. Reviewing your position now is substantially less disruptive than addressing deficiencies after the updated document is published.

What Commercial Building Owners Should Do Before June

Review Your Fire Risk Assessment

The fire risk assessment is the cornerstone of fire safety compliance in any non-domestic building. If yours has not been reviewed within the past 12 months, or was completed without reference to current passive fire protection standards, it may not accurately reflect your building's current risk profile or forthcoming compliance expectations.

A reviewed and current fire risk assessment will identify gaps that the ADB changes are likely to formalise into requirements, giving you time to remediate on your own timetable rather than under regulatory pressure.

Commission a Passive Fire Protection Audit

Passive fire protection - the compartment walls, fire doors, fire stopping, and fire dampers built into the fabric of a building - is the area most directly targeted by the proposed ADB updates. An independent audit of your passive fire protection provision will establish a clear baseline and identify where remediation is needed.

Common deficiencies found during passive fire protection surveys include missing or inadequate fire stopping around service penetrations, non-certified fire doors, damaged intumescent strips, and compromised compartment walls from previous maintenance or fit-out works.

Check Fire Door Compliance

Fire doors are among the most frequently deficient elements in commercial fire safety audits. Defects typically include incorrect specification, damaged seals, faulty self-closing mechanisms, and the absence of third-party certification. The proposed ADB updates reinforce existing expectations around fire door performance, maintenance, and inspection frequency.

Building owners should ensure fire doors have been professionally inspected within the past 12 months and that any identified deficiencies have been remediated.

Consider Submitting a Consultation Response

The consultation is open to building owners, facilities managers, developers, fire safety professionals, and anyone with an interest in fire safety. Submitting a response allows you to formally engage with the proposed changes and potentially influence how the final document is written.

Even if you choose not to submit a response, working through the consultation document is a valuable exercise in understanding where your building's compliance position stands. The MHCLG consultation portal is the place to submit responses before the June 2026 deadline.

How Protest ES Ltd Can Help

Protest ES Ltd is BM TRADA and BRE certified, and provides a full range of passive fire protection services for commercial buildings across England and Wales. Our services include fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, fire stopping remedials, and fire compartmentation surveys - everything a commercial building owner needs to establish their position ahead of the Approved Document B changes.

To discuss how the proposed changes may affect your building, or to arrange a survey before the consultation deadline, contact the Protest ES Ltd team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Approved Document B and why is it being updated?

Approved Document B (ADB) is the technical guidance that supports compliance with Part B of the Building Regulations 2010 for England. It covers fire safety requirements for all building types, including means of escape, fire compartmentation, and access for firefighters. The current update is driven by recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report and is the most significant revision to the document in over a decade.

Does the Approved Document B consultation apply to existing commercial buildings?

The consultation applies to all buildings covered by Part B of the Building Regulations, including existing commercial premises where refurbishment, change of use, or material alteration triggers the need to meet current standards. Even where no building work is planned, the consultation signals where inspection and enforcement expectations are heading.

What is the deadline for responding to the Approved Document B consultation?

The consultation response deadline falls in June 2026. Responses must be submitted via the MHCLG consultation portal. Building owners who wish to have a formal voice in the outcome of the review should submit their response before the deadline.

Do I need to respond to the consultation as a commercial building owner?

Responding to the consultation is not a legal requirement. It is, however, an opportunity to influence how the final updated guidance is written. More importantly, engaging with the consultation document is a practical way to understand how the proposed changes may affect your specific building type and use.

What passive fire protection changes are proposed under the new Approved Document B?

The consultation proposes tighter standards for fire compartmentation, with particular emphasis on fire stopping around service penetrations, fire door specification and maintenance, and the integrity of compartment walls and floors. These are areas where existing commercial buildings frequently show deficiencies when audited against current best practice.

Will the changes require me to retrofit sprinklers in my commercial building?

The consultation proposes extending automatic fire suppression system requirements to additional building types and thresholds. Whether this applies to your specific building will depend on its use, size, and configuration. If you are planning a refurbishment or change of use, seek specialist advice early in the project to understand whether the proposed thresholds would require suppression system provision.

How do I check if my building already meets the proposed new standards?

The most effective way to assess your building's position against the proposed ADB changes is to commission a fire risk assessment review alongside a passive fire protection audit. These two assessments together will give you a clear picture of where your building stands and what, if any, remediation is required before the updated guidance comes into force.