Building Safety Bill

This Bill is a much larger piece of brand new legislation, which is currently in draft form with Parliament.

It is set to bring fundamental changes to the industry to improve building and fire safety and rectify the serious failings that contributed to the Grenfell Tragedy.

The Bill is designed to implement the reforms found to be necessary as part of the Dame Judith Hackett Report, to emphasise the need for a greater focus and priority to be placed on Residents’ safety, not just at the construction stage but right from the fledgling stages of a building design though to completion and occupation.

Initially, the Bill is set to apply to ˜High Rise’ buildings, which are defined as those which are 18m or more. Each building within the scope of the Bill will need to have an ˜Accountable Person’, this person will be governed by a new National Regulator for Building Safety, which will for part of the existing Health and Safety Executive.

The Regulator will have 3 main functions:

• To oversee the safety and standard of buildings
• Assure the safety of higher risk buildings
• Improve the competence of people responsible for managing and overseeing building work

New buildings will be required to register with the Building Safety Regulator and apply for a Building Assurance Certificate before residents can move in.

As this Bill is in draft form, there may be changes before it is executed.