Government commits to new independent building safety regulator

Following on from the Queen's Speech earlier this week, the government has committed to creating an independent building safety regulator as part of the ‘biggest reforms to the building safety regime in nearly 40 years’.

It was announced as part of a clutch of new measures addressing all 53 of Judith Hackitt’s recommendations from her independent review of building regulations which she put forward following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017.

The new regulator would oversee compliance with safety regulations by contractors, designers and building-owners. According to housing secretary Robert Jenrick, the watchdog would have ‘powers to enforce criminal sanctions’. The wider legislative changes pledged by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government also include spelling out a clearer scope of accountability and duties throughout the building’s design, construction and occupation. The framework is also expected to include stronger enforcement and sanctions to deter non-compliance to the new framework, with a ‘stronger and clearer framework’ for a national oversight of construction products.

According to Construction Newshousing minister Esther McVey has promised that the government is moving ‘as fast as it can’ on clarifying what types of cladding are safe in the wake of Grenfell.

Speaking at the MIPIM UK Summit on 14 October, McVey said: "Whatever we say or do, we will ensure that it comes with scientific advice behind it, so we are moving as fast as we can."

RIBA president Alan Jones said that, while he welcomed the proposed legislation for building standards, it needed to ‘contain robust new requirements, including for sprinklers in new and converted homes and better means of warning and escape’.

He added: "The recent wave of fires, following on from the tragedy at Grenfell Tower over two years ago, has exposed the frightening scale of the crisis – and the need for designers to work on projects from design through to occupation. It is a simple ask – buildings must be safe."

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