Building safety standards to benefit from new measures

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced that the slow pace of improving building safety standards will no longer be tolerated under new measures to improve building safety.

A regulator will be at the heart of a new regime, established as part of the Health and Safety Executive, to provide effective oversight of the design, construction and occupation of high-risk buildings. It will raise building safety and performance standards, including overseeing a new, more stringent regime for higher-risk buildings.

The government will work with local authorities to support them in their enforcement options where there is no clear plan for remediation. Jenrick also made clear that, from February, he will start to name building owners where remediation has not started to remove unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding from their buildings.

The consolidated advice also makes clear the actions building owners should take in relation to fire doors. The government welcomes the commitment by the Association of Composite Door Manufacturers to work with building owners to remediate their doors which failed tests, and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that this commitment is followed through.

Jenrick said: “The government is committed to bringing about the biggest change in building safety for a generation. Progress on improving building safety needs to move significantly faster to ensure people are safe in their homes and building owners are held to account.

“That’s why today I’m announcing a major package of reforms, including establishing the Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive to oversee the new regime and publishing consolidated guidance for building owners. Unless swift progress is seen in the coming weeks, I will publicly name building owners where action to remediate unsafe ACM cladding has not started. There can be no more excuses for delay, I’m demanding immediate action.”

Martin Temple, chair of the Health and Safety Executive, said: “We are proud the government has asked HSE to establish the new Building Safety Regulator. HSE’s vast experience of working in partnership with industry and others to improve lives will ensure people are confident the creation of the new regulator is in good hands.”