Mortgage lenders are not planning to change their lending practices in the short term following the government’s announcement that External Wall Fire Review Forms (EWS1) forms should no longer be required for blocks of less than 18m in height.

Several lenders have told Building Design’s sister title Housing Today there will be no immediate change to their approach while they wait for updated guidance from the government and the RICS. This is despite housing secretary Robert Jenrick hailing his July announcement as a “significant step forward for leaseholders” struggling to sell homes due to the fire safety crisis.

The EWS1 forms, created by RICS to improve fire safety information after the Grenfell fire, have been blamed for created widespread difficulties in getting homes valued and mortgaged.

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