Committee questions Building Safety Regulator on cladding and housing delays
The Industry and Regulators Committee is continuing its inquiry into building safety regulation by hearing from the Building Safety Regulator, which has been set up to promote the safe design and construction of higher-risk buildings. The Committee will question whether the BSR’s approvals processes have delayed the construction of new high-rise housing and the removal of cladding from existing blocks and consider the Government’s reforms to address them. The Committee will also consider the extent to which delays have been caused by the culture and capability of the construction industry, and whether the BSR has provided sufficient guidance to the industry on how to build safe high-rise buildings. The Committee will also examine how to ensure that the regulator has the skills and resources it needs to provide timely approvals, in a sector facing skills shortages.
Meeting details
Possible questions include:
- How has the BSR’s regulatory framework impacted the delivery of new buildings and homes, and the maintenance and remediation of existing high-rise buildings?
- Has the culture of the construction sector has improved since the Grenfell Tower fire?
- Can the BSR’s approval processes be made quicker and more proportionate without impacting on the safety of high-rise buildings?
- Does the BSR take into account the impact on leaseholders of the costs that it imposes? Should the BSR have separate charging regimes for new buildings and buildings that are in occupation, allowing the onus of any cost increase to be placed on developers?