What it is
Large panel system (LPS) buildings are made from large precast concrete wall and floor panels, cast in a factory and joined together on site. The method was used for many council blocks, from low-rise flats to tower blocks, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s. There were several proprietary systems, and the way the panels are connected varies between them.
Ronan Point and what followed
In 1968 a gas explosion at Ronan Point, a tower block in Newham, east London, caused part of the block to collapse. Following the inquiry that year, the government advised councils to appraise large panel blocks urgently and, where necessary, to strengthen them. The Building Regulations now require buildings to be constructed so that an accident does not cause collapse out of proportion to its cause.
In 2017, after investigations of large panel blocks on the Ledbury Estate in Southwark, the government wrote to councils and housing associations. It asked them to establish whether their large panel blocks had piped gas and, if so, to make sure the buildings could carry it safely. It also said that for all such buildings the structural history should be known, and their condition and continued structural integrity understood and monitored. The gaps found between panels at Ledbury were judged not to affect structural safety, but they needed sealing to restore fire compartmentation.
Why it matters to flat buyers
- Mortgages. Many lenders restrict lending in large panel blocks, and some will not lend at all. Others may lend with evidence of a satisfactory structural appraisal. Check before you pay for a survey.
- Major works. Strengthening, fire safety work, removing gas supplies or re-cladding can be expensive. Depending on the lease and the law, leaseholders may have to contribute through the service charge. Your conveyancer should check.
- Selling later. Lending restrictions can narrow the pool of future buyers.
Questions to ask
Ask the seller, and ask your conveyancer to raise with the freeholder or managing agent:
- Is the block a large panel system, and which system?
- When was it last structurally appraised, and was it strengthened after Ronan Point or since?
- Does it have piped gas?
- What does the latest fire risk assessment say, and is any work planned as a result?
- What other major works are planned, and what will leaseholders be asked to pay?
In England, residential buildings with at least seven floors or at least 18 metres high, and with at least two homes, are high-rise residential buildings that must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator. The registration includes information about the structure, including whether it is a concrete large panel system.
What we check
Our surveys of flats cover the flat itself and the parts of the building we can reasonably see. We cannot assess the structure of a whole block. In a large panel block we look for signs such as cracking or gaps at panel joints, water staining and distortion, and we tell you what structural and fire safety information to ask for. Our guide to which survey you need explains the choice between Level 2 and Level 3.
What we have found locally
Large panel system blocks did not appear in the survey reports we analysed.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Letters on the safety of large panel system buildings: 5 September 2017
- GOV.UK: Structure: Approved Document A (requirement A3, disproportionate collapse)
- GOV.UK: Giving BSR structure and fire safety information (key building information)
- Historic England: Listing Selection Guide, Domestic 4: The Modern House and Housing