Building Safety Regulator to assess four in 10 occupied higher-risk buildings by 2026
11/12/23
New regulator publishes its first strategic plan, setting out a three-year 'roadmap' for action
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published its first strategic plan saying that it wants to have assessed 40% of occupied higher-risk residential buildings by April 2026.
The BSR, set up as part of the Health & Safety Executive, has set out it principles and three-year 'roadmap' for action in a 27-page document.
The regulator, which began operations in April, is expected to start issuing building assessment certificates from next April, following last month's deadline for building owners to register details of their higher-risk buildings with BSR. Higher-risk residential buildings are defined as those at least 18 metres or seven storeys in height.
The strategic plan said BSR aims to improve the safety and standards of all buildings; make sure residents of higher-risk buildings are safe and feel safe where they live and help restore trust in the built environment sector.
It said it will do this by delivering consistent standards within the building control profession; overseeing and driving improvements across the built environment; regulating the planning, design and construction of new higher-risk buildings; ensuring those who are responsible for higher-risk buildings manage risk so that residents are safe and working in partnership with co-regulators.
BSR also pledged to 'develop strong relationships' with other regulators including the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman.
It said: "Sharing knowledge, expertise and data, we will work with them and other government bodies in delivering on our mutual aims to improve building safety and ensure the best outcome for residents.
"Our work on higher-risk buildings will involve multi-disciplinary teams, and we have been working with others in the Joint Regulators Group to develop the new building safety regime." BSR co-regulates with fire authorities, councils and the Office for Product Safety Standards.
In a foreword to the strategy, housing secretary Michael Gove said the BSR "should be the resounding voice that answers the clarion call for transformation".
He added: "The regulator must create an environment where everyone - industry, residents, freeholders, leaseholders and more - is active in their responsibility for ensuring not only the safety, but also the quality, our buildings. The regulator should be the resounding voice that answers the clarion call for transformation."
Building Safety Regulator 'road map': April 2023-March 2026
Year one (April 2023-March 2024) – Implementation
Increasing the Building Safety Regulator's profile and setting direction for those working in
the built environment, ensuring stakeholders are aware of their new duties and roles.
April 2023
• Registration of occupied higher-risk buildings opens.
• Operational Standards Rules which set the performance standards in relation to the
exercise of building control functions in the public and private sector published, to come
into effect April 2024.
• The Building Safety Regulator takes on responsibility for technical policy.
• Building Inspector Competence Framework published.
May 2023
• Submission of 'Key Building Information' on higher-risk buildings opens.
June 2023
• Professional Conduct Rules for Registered Building Control Approvers published.
• Code of Conduct for Registered Building Inspectors published.
September 2023
• The Industry Competence Committee (ICC) commences. The ICC will advise the
Building Safety Regulator and those working in the built environment on competence
needs of those working in the built environment, support implementing competence,
and develop an evidence-based strategy to improve competence.
October 2023
• Deadline for registration and submitting 'Key Building Information' for existing occupied
higher-risk buildings.
• Registration of building inspectors (RBIs) and building control approvers (RBCAs)
commences.
• The Building Safety Regulator becomes the Building Control Authority for higher-risk
buildings (HRBs) in England - existing HRB projects not meeting the transitional
requirements transfer to the Building Safety Regulator.
Building Safety Regulator Strategic Plan 2023-26
Early 2024
• All other duties applying to Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons in
higher-risk buildings come into force.
• Residents' complaints system opens.
• Taking action on un-remediated higher-risk buildings.
• The Building Safety Regulator will have created the national register of higher-risk
buildings, providing a searchable portal of higher-risk buildings in England for the first
time.
Performance reporting
• Analyse and report on metrics and provisional key performance indicators.
• Monitor assumptions; analyse root causes of variance.
• Adapt resource plans as necessary.
• Update models and forecasts as necessary.
Year two (April 2024-March 2025) – Consolidation
Enforcing the regulatory regime and establishing the regulated building control profession
Spring 2024
• The Building Safety Regulator starts to call in occupied higher-risk buildings for
assessment of their compliance with the new duties to assess and manage building
safety risks- if satisfied of compliance with duties, the Building Safety Regulator will
issue a 'building assessment certificate'.
• In our first year of assessing occupied higher-risk buildings, we aim to have assessed
about 20% of buildings which represent 37% of residential dwellings- we will prioritise
assessments, for example, any buildings with un-remediated ACM cladding will be
assessed in the first year.
• Building inspector and building control approver registration becomes mandatory,
building control restricted functions and activities can only be carried out by registered
inspectors.
• The Building Safety Regulator will investigate allegations of non-compliance with rules,
regulations and codes relating to the building control profession.
• Planned inspections of Building Control Bodies begin and will be prioritised based on
intelligence and risk. 20% of all Local Authorities and RBCA's will be inspected and
actioned appropriately in the first year. Information collected from building control
bodies to measure compliance with the OSRs, and inspection results will be assessed
to establish a baseline of building control activities and compliance with the OSRs.
Performance reporting
• Refine performance reporting processes.
• Continue to adapt resource plans.
• Manage forecasts; monitor forecast variance.
• Baseline metrics and key performance indicators.
Year three (April 2025-March 2026) – Steady state
Operating the new regulatory regime and functions on a steady state basis, reviewing the
Building Safety Regulator's effectiveness and devising the strategy for the next three
years.
Beyond March 2026
• By April 2026 we aim to have assessed about 40% of occupied higher risk buildings
which represents 65% of residential dwellings.
• Any work on remediating dangerous cladding will be completed or underway, and we
will take action on those that are not compliant.
• By October 2026, the Building Safety Regulator will have completed a cost-benefit
analysis of making regular inspections of the condition of electrical installations in
relevant buildings with a view to improving the safety of persons in or about relevant
buildings, the Building Safety Regulator will also consider what further provision or
guidance may be needed regarding:
• stairs and ramps in relevant buildings;
• emergency egress of disabled persons from relevant buildings; and
• automatic water fire suppression systems in relevant buildings.
Performance reporting
• Review activities and key performance indicators against desired outcomes and
behaviours.
• Develop balanced scorecard – a performance management tool to measure the
effectiveness of an activity against the strategic goal.
• Establish targets against key performance indicators
Source; Building