Head of Building Safety Regulator to step down from role

Mr Baker, a 38-year veteran of the HSE, had the chief inspector of buildings title at the BSR and was seen as a key figure in overseeing the post-Grenfell safety regime.

In December 2023, Inside Housing revealed that Mr White would continue heading up the BSR, after the HSE was unable to recruit a new chief inspector of buildings.

He has served in the interim role since.

In a statement, the HSE said Mr White had been part of the organisation for more than 40 years and had made the “personal decision that it is time for him to reduce his working hours and therefore step down as director of building safety after having led [the] BSR through a pivotal couple of years”.

The HSE said: “Mr White’s decision to only partially retire means that [the] BSR will continue to benefit from his extensive experience as it enters its second year of operation, and the government has set out how it intends to respond to the Grenfell Inquiry recommendations.

“The BSR is in the process of recruiting a permanent director of building safety.

“We look forward to working with his replacement on improving building safety and delivering safe and secure homes for residents.”

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee recently launched a short inquiry into the BSR. It will focus on reports of delays to approvals by the regulator for new high-rise buildings and maintenance of buildings.