More than £42 million over the next three years will support the
delivery of tough new standards for managing building safety for
higher-risk buildings brought in by the landmark Building Safety
Act, the Government has announced today.
The package consists of a £16.5m grant to Local Authority
Building Control (LABC), the representative body for local
authority building control in England and Wales, and £26m to
support the Fire and Rescue Services in England and the National
Fire Chiefs Council.
The grant funding will enable local regulators to recruit, train
and employ new Building Control Inspectors and Fire Inspectors.
These local partners will support the work of the new Building
Safety Regulator in overseeing the safety and standards of the
design, construction and management of higher-risk buildings, as
well as strengthening the sector as a whole.
Around 110 Building Inspectors and 111 new Fire Protection
Officers across England will be recruited and receive
high-quality training over a three year programme designed to
direct skills and resources to areas with a greater distribution
of high-rise buildings.
Minister for Building Safety, said:
The Government is delivering important reforms under the Building
Safety Act, including introducing the new Building Safety
Regulator to oversee building safety and performance. This
taxpayer funding will give additional resource to local
regulators who will support the work of the Regulator in making
buildings safer.
Peter Baker, Chief Inspector of Buildings at the Health and
Safety Executive said:
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.
LABC Chief Executive, Lorna Stimpson said:
We are delighted to have secured this funding to provide much
needed additional resources for our local authority members in
England. Building control surveyors are a scarce commodity and so
it’s important that we start to invest in this previously
underfunded but vital public service role. We welcome the
role that local authority building control will have as part of
the new building safety regulator’s multi-disciplinary teams, and
in helping to implement the reforms recommended by Dame Judith
Hackitt.
NFCC Chair, Mark Hardingham said:
NFCC welcomes confirmation of the three-year funding for fire and
rescue services to recruit additional staff to support the new
Building Safety Regulator. We will be working collectively with
others to ensure that the new Regulator delivers on the policy
intent set out by Dame Judith Hackitt, and as part of that,
establishes a sustainable funding model for fire and rescue
services that goes beyond the initial financial package.
Under the new regime, Building Control Inspectors, Fire
Inspectors and Fire Engineers will be the local partner
regulators of the new Building Safety Regulator in the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE).
The Building Safety Regulator will have new powers and
responsibilities to ensure the safety of all buildings and will
have additional responsibilities for how higher-risk buildings
should be constructed and safely maintained.
