Regulator Conducting Systematic Review of Building Safety Guidance

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is undertaking a comprehensive review of building safety guidance, working alongside the government to ensure it has the necessary resources to handle the growing volume of building control applications.

Concerns have been raised in Parliament regarding delays in processing applications and issues with the quality of submissions under the new gateway process, with questions about how these challenges might impact housebuilding targets.

In response, Alex Norris MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities, and Local Government, issued a written statement on 7 May, detailing the "significant measures" being implemented by both the BSR and the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) to address these issues.

Norris emphasized that both MHCLG and BSR are continuously reviewing the operational setup of the BSR, and are currently working on a program of improvements. He explained that MHCLG is exploring various options with the BSR to ensure it is fully equipped to handle the high demand for applications.

The MP also highlighted the additional funding provided to the BSR in recent months, which is being used to increase capacity among building control caseworkers and in-house technical specialists. He noted that the impact of this funding would continue to scale up in the coming months.

In addition to increasing capacity, Norris outlined the ongoing collaboration between the BSR and the Construction Leadership Council, as well as other industry bodies, to support the development of written guidance. This is part of a "systematic review" of all building safety guidance and service content to identify areas for improvement.

Norris further called on the industry to take greater responsibility for the quality of the projects it delivers, highlighting the "significant number of poor-quality applications" that fail to meet regulatory standards. He explained that the extra work involved in addressing these subpar submissions contributes to overall delays in processing times.

Explaining the significance of the gateway process, which has been in operation since October 2023, Norris described it as a key priority for the department, aimed at facilitating the construction of new homes and remediation projects. He stressed that the process is designed to prevent the failings that led to the Grenfell Tower tragedy from being repeated.

Acknowledging that the new system is still "bedding in," Norris reiterated that both MHCLG and the BSR are committed to improving industry engagement and reducing the rate of invalidated and rejected applications. He also pointed out that on 28 April, he hosted a roundtable with the BSR and developers to discuss concerns related to the gateway process.

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