The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering an effective and proportionate building safety regime, with Building Safety Minister Samantha Dixon outlining a series of measures aimed at accelerating remediation, improving oversight and ensuring resources are focused on the highest-risk buildings.

In a written statement to Parliament, the Minister said the Government is committed to ensuring people can be confident their homes are safe while delivering a regulatory framework that supports both safety and economic growth.

A key change will see new applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme prioritised according to risk to life rather than building height. The revised approach is intended to ensure buildings presenting the greatest fire safety risk are remediated first.

The Government will also extend the Cladding Safety Scheme to include certain buildings below 11 metres where serious cladding defects pose life safety risks but fall outside existing statutory protections. Administered by Homes England, the extension is expected to open for applications in August, with funding targeted at the highest-risk buildings.

Later this year, Homes England will launch the National Remediation Database, providing a single view of remediation activity to improve information sharing and oversight across the sector.

Alongside these measures, the Government has announced a review of the multi-occupancy buildings insurance market. Led by the Financial Conduct Authority in partnership with MHCLG and HM Treasury, the review will examine insurers' pricing practices, assess how remediation is reflected in risk assessments and consider whether leaseholders are receiving fair value. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of the Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility in increasing market capacity and reducing premiums.

Single Construction Regulator

The Government has published its response to the Single Construction Regulator prospectus consultation. “The Government welcomes the broad support for the Single Construction Regulator from respondents,” said Dixon. “Our response to the consultation sets out the Government’s direction for the Single Construction Regulator, including our vision and ambition for the regulator, outcomes for the building system and the Single Construction Regulator’s primary objective.”

What’s more, the response confirms the Government’s intention to bring forward primary legislation as the next step towards establishing the Single Construction Regulator, using the Building Safety Regulator as its foundation.

According to Dixon: “Establishing the Single Construction Regulator will support a more effective, fair and coherent regulatory system that improves outcomes for residents and building users, while also providing greater clarity for industry.”

Dixon added: “The Government continues to drive reform across the wider building safety system. Our objective is to ensure that the system established after the Grenfell Tower fire is protecting residents, supporting responsible development and operating in a clear, proportionate and effective way.”

As the new framework has matured, Dixon said experience has shown where improvements can be made, while maintaining the protections residents rightly expect. “The reforms announced will improve how the regime operates in practice, while maintaining high standards of safety.”

Higher-risk buildings regime

Improving the proportionality of the higher-risk buildings regime is vital for the Government. Robust oversight of safety-critical work remains essential, but Dixon affirms in the statement that requirements must be targeted and efficient if they are to command confidence and support delivery.

“A proportionate regime is not a compromise on safety,” stated Dixon. “It’s essential to make sure regulatory effort and limited specialist resources are focused where they have the greatest positive impact on safety and efficiency.”

In relation to this, the Government has published the response to two consultations focused on re-categorising work in existing higher-risk buildings and on targeted dispensations from procedural requirements for telecommunications work in existing buildings. In parallel, the Government has launched a new consultation on the emergency repairs route.

The statement also outlines plans to improve the proportionality of the higher-risk buildings regime. The Government has published responses to consultations on changes to work categorisation in existing higher-risk buildings and procedural requirements for telecommunications works, while launching a further consultation on emergency repairs.

In addition, the Building Safety Regulator is introducing a revised approach to Building Assessment Certificates, designed to deliver a more proportionate, risk-based system that better supports Principal Accountable Persons and helps reduce unnecessary costs for residents and leaseholders while maintaining robust safety standards.

Revised approach

As previously reported by Fire Safety Matters, the Building Safety Regulator is introducing a revised approach to building assessment certificates. “This will provide an effective, proportionate and risk-based approach to managing occupied higher-risk buildings, with greater support for ‘Principal Accountable Persons’, particularly resident-led organisations and those managing complex cases.”

The Building Safety Regulator will also develop updated processes, prioritisation and guidance to help protect residents and leaseholders from unnecessary additional costs.

“The core duties established by the Building Safety Act 2022 will not change,” explained Dixon. “It remains the case that ‘Accountable Persons’ must continue to manage their buildings effectively and take all reasonable steps to protect residents from fire spread and structural failure.”

Dixon concluded: “Taken together, this package of measures ensures the building safety framework remains focused on proportionate management of risk to be effective in operation and firmly centred on protecting residents.”

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