Regulations on Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans come into effect on 6 April.
New legislation designed to improve evacuation arrangements for residents, who could face challenges leaving their building in the event of a fire, comes into force in England on Monday 6 April 2026.
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 introduce a new process called Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs).
They apply to residential buildings in England that are 18 metres or 7 stories or higher, or over 11 metres where a simultaneous evacuation strategy is in place, and place new legal duties on Responsible Persons, usually building owners, landlords or managers.
Under the regulations, Responsible Persons will be required to identify residents who may have difficulty evacuating by themselves, offer them a person-centred fire risk assessment, and agree an emergency evacuation statement. They must also develop and maintain a building wide emergency evacuation plan.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is working with Responsible Persons of affected buildings to ensure they have the information and support needed to comply with the new regulations, and ensuring that residents are aware of the voluntary nature of the assessments and information sharing with fire and rescue.
Participation for residents is entirely voluntary, and they can withdraw their consent at any time. Only with a resident’s explicit consent will the Responsible Persons carry out these responsibilities and share a small amount of information with the fire and rescue.
The information shared involves basic details that will give our crews an indication of assistance that residents may need in an emergency, and not any medical or personal information.
David Lynch, area manager for prevention and protection at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: “As a fire service, we’re glad to see these changes coming into force. They’re a big step forward in making sure that everyone feels safe in their home, and confident that they’ll be able to get out in an emergency.
“The legislation gives a clear picture for what's required of Responsible Persons, and we’ll continue to work with those affected in Lincolnshire to ensure that they fully understand and carry out their new responsibilities.
“Relevant residents should be approached by the Responsible Persons without needing to do anything, but if anyone feels that they may benefit from these new arrangements, we’d encourage them to speak with their building owner or managing agent and start that conversation.”
For further information on RPEEPs please visit https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/business-fire-safety/residential-personal-emergency-evacuation-plans and
the Government website.