Building Safety Update

Late last month, the government published a number of key documents in relation to building safety.  These included:

• Third progress report on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 recommendations,
  • This includes a timeline for delivery of the Inquiry recommendations,
  • Future reporting commitments,
  • An update on wider reforms,

• Single construction regulator prospectus,
  • This is seeking views on the government’s proposal for regulatory reform and the development of a single construction regulator,
  • The proposed changes intend to reduce fragmentation in how the sector is regulated and drive culture change in the industry,
  • The deadline for responses to the consultation is 11:59pm on 20 March 2026,

• Definition of higher-risk buildings: initial review and plans for ongoing review,
  • This is a policy paper setting out the Building Safety Regulator’s review of the definition of Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs),
  • It concludes that changing the definition would not be appropriate at this time, but will be subject to ongoing review,

• Fire engineering profession reform,
  • In response to the Inquiry, the government established the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel,
  • This update includes an Authoritative Statement of the knowledge and skills to be expected of a competent fire engineer, as part of the overarching recommendation that fire engineers should become a regulated profession,

• Construction Leadership Council (CLC) guidance – Building Control for a new Higher-Risk Building,
  • This document brings together a suite of guidance notes for Building Control Approval (Gateway 2) and Completion Certificate (Gateway 3) applications for a new Higher-Risk Building,
  • This includes,
    • A summary process map,
    • An approach to the sufficient level of design detail,
    • An approach and management of the use of Approval with Requirements,
    • Baseline design information to be submitted for a Building Control Approval application (Gateway 2),
    • The use and submission of an Application Project Brief for a Building Control Approval application,
    • Best practice for document management and submission to the Building Safety Regulator online portal for a Building Control Approval application,
    • The use and submission of an Application Strategy for a staged Building Control Approval application or applications for multiple buildings within a single development,
    • An approach and baseline information for a Building Control Approval application (Gateway 2) for a stage of HRB work,
    • Key steps for dutyholders and the BSR between Building Control Approval (Gateway 2) and Completion Certificate (Gateway 3),

• Updated guidance on building control staged applications from the BSR,
  • This includes expanding eligibility to single tower projects alongside complex multiple tower developments,

• An update on the continuous review of Approved Document B,
  • This includes information on the review process,
  • It also includes published details of a number of research project reports commissioned to inform future changes to AD B.

These are all very important updates.  Please ensure that you are up to date with the latest information and guidance and that you share this with colleagues.