The slow pace of improving building safety standards will not be tolerated, the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has warned, as he announced that the government is committed to delivering the biggest change in building safety for a generation.
As part of this commitment, a Building Safety Regulator will be established within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to give “effective oversight” of the design, construction and occupation of high-risk buildings.
“Building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe and where there is no clear plan for remediation, the government will work with local authorities to support them in their enforcement options,” said the announcement.
Speaking in the House of Commons on 20 January 2020, Mr Jenrick also made clear that from next monthly he will start to name building owners where remediation has not started to remove unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding from their buildings.
The government says that, whilst there has been some progress in removing unsafe cladding, there are still some building owners who have been too slow to act.
The HSE will quickly begin to establish the new regulator in shadow form immediately, ahead of it being fully established following legislation. It will raise building safety and performance standards, including overseeing a new, more stringent regime for higher-risk buildings. Dame Judith Hackitt will chair a Board to oversee the transition.
Martin Temple, Chair of the HSE, 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.”
