Lords committee launches inquiry into Building Safety Regulator delays

The first gateway is the planning process, the second is building control sign-off – required before work can begin on site – and the third happens at the end of construction to show the building is safe to occupy.

However, progress has been slow because of capacity issues at the BSR, alongside inadequate applications. 

Earlier this year, house builder Berkeley Group and London’s largest housing associations called for a review of the BSR’s Gateway 2 approval process.

However, the BSR’s deputy director told Inside Housing that its processes were preventing unsafe homes from being built, with applications rejected for “fundamental” failures to show compliance.

The committee is seeking evidence from building industry specialists, housing associations, architects, resident groups, safety experts and local authorities on a number of questions.

These include whether the introduction of the BSR improved the safety of the buildings it is responsible for.

It will also ask whether the BSR’s regulatory framework strikes the right balance between providing a holistic, outcomes-based view of safety and ensuring that developers and building owners understand what they are required to do.

The committee will seek views on what impacts the framework could have on the delivery of the government’s housing targets and to what extent delays in approvals for high-rise buildings are down to the regulatory processes used by the BSR.

It will ask whether the BSR’s approval processes are sufficiently clear and understandable to developers and whether the regulator has access to the skilled staff necessary to carry out multidisciplinary assessments of safety.

The committee will seek to understand how well the relationship between the BSR and building control authorities and inspectors is working.

It will ask how the BSR’s work relates to the regulation of construction products and how its framework compares with how building safety is assured in other countries and jurisdictions.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton, chair of the committee, said: “The safety of residents in higher-risk buildings was at the heart of the Building Safety Regulator being set up in 2022.

“The committee wants to hear from all stakeholders to find out if the BSR has the skills and resources required to ensure the safety of all buildings and its residents in the process of approving applications for high-rise buildings.

“This is crucial if the government is going to achieve its manifesto target of building 1.5 million homes over the next parliament.”

The inquiry will hold its first evidence session on Tuesday, 24 June, when it will hear from developers and housing associations.

In May, the building safety minister said the government was exploring actions to reduce waiting times for Gateway 2 approval from the BSR.