Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth (): Today I am updating
Parliament on changes to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
The government's response to the Grenfell Inquiry set out our
commitment to take forward the recommendation for a ‘single
construction regulator' for the building system, to tackle
fragmentation and incoherence in the regulatory system.
As a sign of our commitment to move at pace on implementing the
Inquiry's recommendations, we are taking the initial steps
towards a single construction regulator by supporting the BSR to
move into a new phase of its operations. We will publish a
prospectus for reform in the autumn setting out further details
on the single regulator.
Since its establishment, the BSR has overseen a fundamental
change in the built environment – taking significant risk out of
the system and ensuring residents are at the heart of
housebuilding. It is an important and non-negotiable part of the
built environment system as we deliver 1.5m new homes and
increase the pace of remediation of unsafe buildings. I am
grateful to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the
invaluable leadership and experience it has brought to the
establishment and early operations of the BSR. This was the
biggest change to the building safety regime in decades, and
their expertise provides the foundations for future reforms this
government will bring forward.
Everyone deserves a safe home - and the opportunity to access
one. That is why we need a regulatory system that is not only
robust, but also clear, consistent, and easy to navigate.
Regulatory certainty and efficiency are essential to unlocking
the investment needed to build the homes this country urgently
needs.
The reforms introduced to date to ensure building safety are
crucial — but this government recognises the operational
challenges the BSR and the wider sector are facing in their
implementation.
That is why, together with industry, we have been working
urgently to address operational challenges so that the BSR works
effectively - enabling the safe homes this country needs to be
built, and a system that balances proportionate regulation
without compromising safety outcomes.
Today, my department will announce that:
- We are investing in strengthened and dedicated leadership in
the BSR to lead the transition of its operations out of HSE in
the future and to provide a dedicated focus to its operations.
Andy Roe has been appointed as non-executive chair of a shadow
board of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government (MHCLG), pending its establishment as an Executive
Agency to take on the functions of the BSR from the HSE. This is
part of initial steps towards creating a single construction
regulator. Andy Roe brings a wealth of experience to the role
following a career of organisational transformation, industry
experience, and strong relationships with the sector - and has
played an integral role within the building safety regime since
its inception. We will also introduce a new Chief Executive
Officer to lead the BSR, Charlie Pugsley.
- The BSR is implementing a new Fast Track Process. This will
bring building inspector and engineer capacity directly into the
BSR to enable a rapid acceleration to the processing of existing
newbuild cases and remediation decisions. Alongside this, we are
working hard to partner with industry to deliver results – and
will shortly support the publication of industry guidance to
improve the quality of applications - and so reduce processing
times. To ensure transparency, the BSR will publish key
performance related information quarterly, in the coming weeks.
These changes will see no compromise in the standards expected of
design and construction.
- We are bolstering long-term investment in the capacity of the
BSR and building capacity within industry. The BSR will recruit
more than 100 members of staff by the end of the year to enhance
operations.
These changes position the BSR for the coming years,
demonstrating the commitment of government to invest in safety
and residents.
