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With construction of high-rise apartment blocks in London having ground to a halt, the government has today announced action to solve the blockage.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR), established as by the Building Safety Act 2022 as the post-Grenfell building control authority for residential tower blocks, is to be shaken up – with actual fire fighters taking charge.

A new fast track process will enhance the review of newbuild applications, unblock delays and boost sector confidence, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) promises. MCHLG is promising to bolster the BSR with the addition of more than 100 new staff to speed up operations.   

A new arm’s length body to MHCLG – yet another one – is being established with the intention for this to take on the functions of the BSR from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in due course.

Running it all will be a pair of long-serving fire fighters.

Andy Roe, commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, has made non-executive chair of the BSR and has been appointed to a shadow board pending its establishment as executive agency.  After Sandhurst and several years in the Royal Artillery, Roe joined the fire brigade in 2002, aged 27, and rose up the ranks.

Roe will be supported by a new chief executive for the BSR, Charlie Pugsley, who has spent nearly 30 years with the London Fired Brigade and has been deputy commissioner for the past year.

Pugsley replaces Philip White, an HSE lifer who was put in charge of the BSR to oversee its establishment.

Making the BSR a stand-alone body will be the first step towards establishing a single construction regulator, as recommended by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry last year and partially accepted by the government. However, the  new construction regulator will not take over the product testing and certification industry, which will stay in the private sector. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry had recommended nationalising it to bring it under state control. 

Alex Norris, minister for building safety, said:  “The establishment of the Building Safety Regulator has been fundamental to centralising safety in the construction process and it’s time to take the next steps to build on that precedent and create a system that works for the sector whilst keeping residents and their safety at the heart of the process. That’s why we’re announcing a package of reforms to the BSR today to enhance operations, reduce delays, and unlock the homes this country desperately needs.” 

Andy Roe said:   “The creation of the new Building Safety Regulator was a watershed moment for housing and construction in this country.  However, it is also clear that the BSR processes’ need to continue to evolve and improve, to ensure that it plays its part in enabling the homes this country desperately needs to be built.  

 “I look forward to working with colleagues both in industry and the BSR to tackle the current issues and delays head on and help get those homes built safely.”  

HSE chair Sarah Newton said: “Setting up an entirely new regulator has been complex and huge progress has been made in a short space of time. Protecting residents and making sure there is never another tragedy like Grenfell has been our priority throughout this process. We wish the new BSR team well in this most important mission. 

“We are very proud of the work we have done to establish the BSR. It was always an option that once the new regulator was established that it would move out of HSE to enable the government to implement the Grenfell Public Inquiry recommendations and we will work hard to enable the smooth transition to the next stage.”  

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