Building Safety Regulator delays ‘unacceptable’, say peers
A cross-party House of Lords committee has blasted the government for leaving residents trapped in unsafe buildings and increasing costs for leaseholders due to regulatory delays.
The Industry and Regulators Committee’s report, The Building Safety Regulator: Building a better regulator, warned that the delays mean the government is in danger of missing its target to build 1.5m homes by 2029.
“The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) was a necessary and welcome step… [but] the scale of the delays [is] unacceptable,” chair of the committee, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, said.
Originally implemented to tackle safety concerns in light of the devastating Grenfell fire, the BSR must approve development before building or remediation work can begin on high-rise schemes.
Additionally – and controversially – all buildings above 18m in height must have two separate escape stairs to improve fire safety and provide alternative escape routes in emergencies.
Despite a target of 12 weeks per application, approvals have been taking up to a year, according to the CPA.
‘Delays don’t improve safety’
The committee found that the BSR hasn’t given enough guidance for applicants on how to make buildings safe, and that the body faces a skills shortage of building inspectors who are struggling to meet demand.
It also found that many applications are being rejected or delayed due to basic errors and applicants’ inability to evidence how they are considering elements of fire and structural safety, which “reflects poorly on the construction industry”.
“We welcome that the government and the BSR are now acting to try and make practical improvements, but this will not address the anxiety and frustration that residents and companies have experienced,” Taylor said.
“It does not improve safety to delay vital remediation and refurbishments, nor to deter the delivery of new housing in high-rise buildings,” she added.
The report is calling for long-term funding for the training of new building and fire inspectors, as well as greater guidance to its teams on how to comply with the building regulations.