External walls assessment form

Scottish solicitors are invited to comment on the Scottish Government’s first iteration of an external wall appraisal form.

The draft form has been produced as part of the Scottish Government’s Single Building Assessment pilot scheme and its work to tackle cladding issues.

By starting with buildings with known issues, the pilot, which started in June 2021, seeks to establish on a consistent and robust basis, what remediation is needed, the reasons for that, position of developer and what support from public funds can be provided.

Scottish Government has agreed that members of the legal profession who will come across the forms in the sale and purchase of flats in blocks with cladding, should have an opportunity to review and comment on the format.

Although the whole project has building fire safety at its core, the work flows from a group set up to consider the matter from a property market perspective. These forms are likely to become part of the sale and purchase process, so this is a good opportunity for property solicitors to comment on the reports in advance of their full introduction.

The expertise and input of legal professionals working in the property market will help in the development of the final format and make it easier for practitioners to work with the forms as they become more commonplace over the next few months.

We would encourage you to take a moment to review the draft external wall appraisal form and send your feedback to Sarah Alexander, Senior Solicitor in our Professional Practice team and Secretary to our Property Law Committee at sarahalexander@lawscot.org.uk, .