The UK government has accepted the intent of recommendations made by the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee following its review of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
The committee’s report, Building Safety Regulator: Building a better regulator, examined the early performance of the BSR and identified areas where clarity, consistency and resourcing needed improvement. The government has now responded, confirming that it intends to take forward the committee’s recommendations.
Key findings from the committee
In its December report, the committee concluded that:
- The BSR had not provided sufficiently clear guidance on how applicants should demonstrate compliance and evidence building safety.
- Applications were frequently delayed or rejected due to basic errors and insufficient demonstration of fire and structural safety considerations.
- Some construction products lack relevant product standards, leaving gaps in regulatory oversight.
- Funding pressures and regulatory changes have contributed to an ageing workforce of building inspectors struggling to meet demand.
- Smaller works in high-rise buildings, such as bathroom refurbishments, were placing additional strain on already stretched multidisciplinary teams.
Recommendations for improvement
To address these issues, the committee recommended that:
- The BSR provide clearer guidance to its multidisciplinary teams to ensure greater consistency in how compliance is assessed.
- Smaller works be removed from the BSR’s approval process, or subject to a streamlined route.
- Similar projects be assessed by the same multidisciplinary teams to improve efficiency and consistency.
- Long-term funding be committed to training new building and fire inspectors to address skills shortages.
Government response
In its formal response, the government acknowledged the concerns raised and confirmed it accepts the intent of the committee’s recommendations. It stated that the regulator has made progress following changes to leadership and operational processes, with improvements noted particularly in the handling of new-build applications. However, further work is required, especially in accelerating cladding remediation.
Following parliamentary approval in December, the Building Safety Regulator was formally established as a standalone body on 27 January. It now holds legal responsibility for building safety functions previously delivered by the Health and Safety Executive and reports to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Baroness Taylor of Bolton, who chaired the committee during the inquiry, welcomed the government’s response but emphasised that further progress is needed to ensure unsafe cladding remediation and new high-rise developments can proceed more efficiently while maintaining robust safety standards.
Implications for the industry
For those operating in specialist access and maintenance sectors, the continued evolution of the building safety regime underlines the importance of clarity, competence and demonstrable compliance. As regulatory frameworks mature, consistent guidance and adequately resourced inspection bodies will be essential to support safe project delivery across high-risk buildings.
SAEMA will continue to monitor developments and update members as further detail emerges.