Government launches consultation on taking forward recommendations made by Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety

6th June 2019

In a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament today, 6^th June, the Communities Secretary, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, announced that the Government had published a consultation paper seeking views on its proposals for a new system of building and fire safety which puts residents’ safety at its heart.

The Communities Secretary, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, said:

“The consultation we are publishing today, titled ‘Building a safer future: proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system – a consultation’, outlines how we propose to take forward meaningful legislative reform and is seeking views on five areas of the new regime.”

The 5 broad areas are:

1. The scope of the new regime;
2. The concept of dutyholders who have clear responsibilities throughout a building’s design, construction and occupation;
3. Giving residents a stronger voice in the system and ensuring their concerns are never ignored;
4. Plans for a new building safety regulator to provide oversight of the new building safety regulatory regime; and
5. Strengthened enforcement and sanctions to deter non-compliance with the new regime

To ensure that the content is accessible to everyone the Government has also published a ‘quick read’ version of the consultation document.

The consultation closes at 11:45pm on 31 July 2019

You can respond in one of three ways:

1. Respond online
2. Email to: buildingsafetyconsultation@communities.gov.uk
3. Write to: Building Safety Bill Team
   Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government
   4th Floor, Fry Building
   2 Marsham Street
   London
   SW1P 4DF

In December 2018, the Government published its Implementation Plan that committed it to take forward the recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety as part of a fundamental reform of the system for ‘higher-risk residential buildings’.

Alongside this consultation the Government is also publishing:

• The summary of responses to its call for evidence on engagement with residents.
• The report from the industry-led Competence Steering Group setting out their proposals for oversight of competence

The Home Office has also launched a call for evidence on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Order).  The call for evidence is the first part of a process to ensure that the Fire Safety Order is fit for purpose for all buildings it regulates.