Industry and Regulators Committee seeks views on Building Safety Regulator

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, the Government commissioned Dame Judith Hackitt to conduct an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. The final report, published in 2018, recommended the establishment of a new regulatory framework focused on higher-risk residential buildings, managed by a new regulator with responsibility for the whole of a building’s safety. The Building Safety Regulator was set up to act as this new regulator as part of the Building Safety Act 2022.

The Building Safety Regulator has been set up within the Health and Safety Executive and is responsible for setting standards for the design and construction of higher-risk buildings. Higher-risk buildings have been defined as buildings that are at least 18 metres in height or have at least seven storeys and contain at least two residential units.

For lower-risk buildings, the Building Safety Regulator does not directly approve their construction, but is responsible for regulating the Building Control bodies and inspectors who do hold this responsibility.

Concerns have been raised by some in the housing sector that delays in approvals by the Building Safety Regulator have slowed down the delivery of new buildings and homes.

Skills and resources

Baroness Taylor of Bolton explained: “The safety of residents in higher-risk buildings was at the heart of the Building Safety Regulator being set up in 2022.

The Committee wants to hear from all stakeholders to find out if the Building Safety Regulator has the skills and resources required to ensure the safety of all buildings and their residents in the process of approving applications for high-rise buildings. This is crucial if the Government is going to achieve its manifesto target of building 1.5 million homes over the next Parliament.”

The Committee is seeking evidence from building industry specialists, housing associations, architects, resident groups, safety experts, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders on a number of questions, including the following:

*has the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator improved the safety of the buildings for which it’s responsible?

*does the Building Safety Regulator’s regulatory framework strike the right balance between providing an holistic outcomes-based view of safety and ensuring that developers and building owners understand what they are required to do?

*what impacts could the framework have on the delivery of the Government’s housing targets?

*to what extent are delays in approvals for high-rise buildings down to the regulatory processes used by the Building Safety Regulator?

*are the Building Safety Regulator’s approval processes sufficiently clear and understandable to developers?

*does the Building Safety Regulator have access to the skilled staff necessary to carry out multidisciplinary assessments of safety?

*is the relationship between the Building Safety Regulator and Building Control authorities and inspectors working well?

*how does the Building Safety Regulator’s work relate to the regulation of construction products?

*how does the Building Safety Regulator’s regulatory framework compare to how building safety is assured in other countries and jurisdictions?

Written contributions

The Committee invites written contributions to its inquiry by Sunday 31 August. The Committee will be holding public evidence sessions between June and September and aims to report to the House in the Autumn.

Read the Call for Evidence and submit your views online