12,500 High-Rise Buildings to Register on New Portal

27/6/23

The Health and Safety Executive's new digital portal for the registration of high-rise buildings is now live. Anyone acting as the principal accountable person should submit details to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before 30 September 2023. 

All occupied residential buildings deemed 'higher-risk' – defined by government guidelines as over 18 metres in height - should be submitted to the portal. There are exceptions to the requirements and buildings that are used as hospitals, care homes, secure residential institutions, hotels, military premises and prisons are exempt.

Registration is a legal requirement and failure to complete will be a criminal offense. The fee to register is £251 per building. More than 12,500 buildings will need to be registered before the deadline this autumn.

The portal will increase the focus on safety standards required for high rise structures. The government has recently issued guidance on how to register buildings, including cases where two or more structures are connected. New builds completed after the deadline should have a completion certificate and will need to be registered before occupation by residents.

After 01 October, principle accountable persons will be responsible for conducting building safety risk assessments. They will also need to evidence risk management and safety case reports. From April 2024, the BSR will issue building assessment certificates.

Details input into the portal must be accurate and up to date. The portal requires information on the number of floors, the height of the building, the number of units and the year of construction. Additional information must be provided regarding the principle accountable person (the owner or leaseholder responsible for the building), along with details of the building control final certificate and structural information. Once the registration process has begun, companies will have 28 days to submit the relevant safety information.

Peter Baker, Chief Inspector of Buildings at the HSE and head of the BSR, said: "The registration portal would usher in a new era for building safety regulation." He also said that he was aiming for a 'world-leading' regime.

The BSR held their inaugural conference in London on 23 March. At the event, Peter Baker spoke about the importance of the new safety regime, and the important role of the 'golden thread' – a digital paper trail of safety information relating to a building's design and construction.

He added: "The changes will ensure for the first time there is a consistent source of information about higher risk buildings and that residents and users will know absolutely who is responsible for the safety of that building."

"We are now aspiring to put into place a building safety regime that is world leading and puts residents at the heart but it's not for the government or the regulator to tell you how to best manage the risks in your projects and buildings. Only you can decide how to do this, you must take ownership of the risks in the built environment." 12,500 HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS TO REGISTER ON NEW PORTAL The Health and Safety Executive's new digital portal for the registration of high-rise buildings is now live. Anyone acting as the principal accountable person should submit details to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before 30 September 2023.

For more information: www.gov.uk/guidance/register-a-high-rise-residential-building