Work is underway to develop new fire safety guidance for purpose-built flats to help landlords, fire risk assessors and enforcement bodies meet their responsibilities.The document, which will cover existing purpose-built blocks of flats, is being prepared in response to a demand from social and private sector landlords for more in-depth guidance for such blocks. It will be freely available in pdf format and is expected in July.The move follows a meeting last year between the Local Government Regulation body (formerly LACORS), the Department for Local Government and Communities (CLG), the Chief Fire Officers Association, the Tenant Services Authority and social and private accommodation providers.The project, commissioned by CLG, is being led by the Local Government Improvement and Development body. The guidance aims to follow a similar format to existing guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing published in 2008 by Local Government Regulation and clarified in 2009. That guidance, h Getting Over an Affair owever, was never meant to cover purpose-built blocks of flats.Among other criteria, the new guidance aims to: comprise a single document accessible to regulators, providers of accommodation and fire risk assessors cover purpose-built flats of any height (high rise and low rise) outline the legislative position, including the different applications of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System under the Housing Act 2004 be non-prescriptive, while providing suggested acceptable alternative arrangements.Facilities Consultancy ltd will follow the story and release updates.http://www.facilitiesconsultancy.co.uk/fire-safetyhttp://www.london-fireriskassessment.co.uk/Suspended prison sentence for restaurant fire safety breaches07 March 2011The owner of a south Wales restaurant has been sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 250 hours community service after being convicted of 13 offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.