Luton Council is demanding the Government change national planning rules to make fire services statutory consultees on all major developments — a move councillors say is vital to prevent another disaster like the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London.
The motion, passed unanimously at a recent Full Council meeting, urges Chief Executive Mark Fowler to write to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and to both of Luton’s MPs. It calls for early and formal involvement of fire services in planning decisions, ensuring that safety considerations are built into developments from the very start rather than as an afterthought.
The initiative was brought forward by Councillor Jacqui Burnett, who also chairs Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority. She said the campaign was driven by the lessons of the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy, which claimed 72 lives and exposed catastrophic failings in building regulation and fire safety oversight.
“The motivation behind this motion is the Grenfell tragedy,” said Cllr Burnett. “I will never forget what I saw that morning when I woke up and turned on the TV. The Government has since brought in stronger regulation with building safety, but the fire service is not a statutory consultee on planning.
“Luton Council and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service work collaboratively in a number of ways already, including on some planning matters, enforcement and information sharing. Not only does this motion formalise and strengthen this partnership, it also restates the strong commitment of both organisations to fully resource the work.
“Most of the public have no idea and would be astonished that fire services up and down the country are not consulted as a legal requirement early in the process for major planning applications. It is really important we give a united clear message as to what we expect of developers from the fire and local authority sectors.”
Councillor Javed Hussain, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Strategic Development, said the change could save lives by ensuring fire experts have a seat at the table when high-risk designs are first proposed.
“This motion will ensure the relationship between the fire and local authorities is further strengthened, and will help save lives,” said Cllr Hussain. “This is so important because we never want to witness a tragedy similar to Grenfell ever again.”
Luton’s stance aligns with calls from the Local Government Association and several fire authorities across the country, who have warned that the current system leaves critical safety issues being picked up too late. The LGA has previously urged ministers to close the loophole by requiring fire services to be consulted on all major developments — arguing that without such changes, the core lessons of Grenfell will remain unheeded.
The Government has so far resisted calls to make fire services statutory consultees, saying local planning authorities already have powers to consult them where appropriate and that reforms under the Building Safety Act 2022 have strengthened oversight on high-risk buildings. However, campaigners argue that without a legal requirement, crucial fire safety input will continue to vary from one development — and one council — to another.
