The Government has recently announced a new plan to support the implementation of tough new regulations regarding building safety for high-risk buildings, introduced by The Building Safety Act. Over the course of a three-year programme, more than £42 million will be funded, to help deliver the new Building Safety Act reforms.

This Building Safety Act was granted Royal Assent on the 28th of April 2022, to essentially make homes and buildings much safer. The Act developed three bodies to supervise the new regulations, including the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), the New Homes Ombudsman, and the National Regulator of Construction Products (NRCP). The BSR is an independent body within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), created by the Act in response to the Grenfell Tower incident. All of these bodies will help to control the management and construction of buildings, to make them more high-quality.

From the £42m fund, £16.5m will be granted to Local Authority Building Control (LABC), the representative body for local authority building control in England and Wales, and £26m to the Fire and Rescue Services in England and the National Fire Chiefs Council. The funding will hopefully allow local regulators to enrol, train, and hire new Building Control and Fire Inspectors. These roles combined provide the sector with a strong workforce, enabling businesses and individuals to reach the new safety standards.

Over three years, approximately 110 Building Inspectors and 111 Fire Protection Officers will be employed across the UK to receive thorough training directed towards locations with a larger amount of high-rise buildings.

Peter Baker, Chief Inspector of Buildings at the Health and Safety Executive has stated:

‘Local Authority and Fire and Rescue Services are vital to the delivery of the new safety regime for higher-risk residential buildings. I welcome the work to quickly increase capability and capacity so our regulatory partners can deliver their important roles. Our common goal is ensuring the success of the new regime in keeping residents safe in their homes, now and in the future.’

Following the plan, the new Building Safety Regulator in the HSE will consist of the local partner regulators: Building Control Inspectors, Fire Inspectors and Fire Engineers. As a result of this, the Building Safety Regulator will have a considerable amount of control and responsibility, to guarantee the safety of buildings with a focus on the construction and maintenance of high-rise establishments.

For more details regarding the grant, click here.

For more information about The Building Safety Act guidance, click here.