More data sought over higher car park barriers call

The government has asked for more information about proposed new legislation aimed at stopping "easily preventable" fatal falls from multi-storey car parks.

Jonny Santer launched a campaign to raise the legal minimum height of rooftop barriers after his 15-year-old son Gabriel fell to his death from a Liverpool car park in 2020.

Bootle MP Peter Dowd and Liverpool Garston MP Maria Eagle have co-sponsored the Multi-Storey Car Parks (Safety) Bill, which would raise the minimum height of barriers on the sides of car parks to 2.7m (8ft10).

The government said it was waiting for more evidence about the issue.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed in July the government would review the proposals.

Starmer told Dowd in the House of Commons: "We will conduct a call for evidence on... the building regulations about minimum guarding heights so that the necessary protections are in place to prevent future tragedies, and we will also look at the contents of the Bill."

Santer said last month, however, that he had "heard nothing" and was "still waiting" for the government to launch the call for evidence. He hopes new legislation would become known as Gabe's Law.

In a letter to Liverpool and Wirral coroner Helen Rimmer, Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed confirmed the government had a "forthcoming" call for evidence.

He was responding to her Prevention of Future Deaths report following Joshua Perry's inquest.

The 21-year-old was fatally injured when he fell 19 floors from a city-centre car park in Liverpool in March 2025.

At his inquest, Rimmer concluded it was "not clear" whether he had intended to take his own life.

The court heard the he had consumed ketamine before his death which was "consistent with moderate excessive use" and this "more likely than not influenced Joshua's functioning".

Rimmer wrote to the government about a "conflict" between the wording in some of the guidelines that govern the minimum height of car park barriers, which she said "requires resolution and may prevent future deaths".

Perry's mum, Natasha Perry, has backed the proposed Gabe's Law.

On Monday, Reed said the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government intended to consider the issues the coroner had raised through a forthcoming call for evidence "where we will be seeking views to help us understand which areas may need strengthening, greater clarity or further research".

He wrote: "This will include the case for changes on guarding design and wider fall and accidental prevention measures."

Reed said this would provide an opportunity for regulators, industry experts and other stakeholders to share evidence on the effectiveness and clarity of the current guidance.

He said this included "its application in complex environments such as multi-storey car parks, and to inform consideration of whether further clarification or revision would support improved safety outcomes".

He continued: "This approach will ensure that any future changes are developed carefully, on the basis of evidence, and subject to appropriate consultation."

"I fully recognise the seriousness of this incident and the measures set out above look to prevent this type of incident from occurring."

Santer said he "welcomed" the government's recognition but while the current building regulations remained in place "allowing owners and operators to leave edge perimeter guarding at a ridiculously unsafe low level of 1.1m, we will continue to see more preventable deaths".

He said the call for evidence was in response to a question Dowd had put to Starmer in July 2025.

"I met with the then Minister Alex Norris MP who was subsequently replaced by Samantha Dixon MP back in November 2025.

"We were given assurances that call for evidence would be imminent."

He added that a change in the law was "essential" to stop "easily preventable" tragedies, yet "nearly a year later we are still waiting".

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