Consultancy

The Building Safety Bill is “A bill to make provision about the safety of people in or about buildings, and the standard of buildings, to amend the Architects Act 1997 and to amend provision about complaints made to a housing ombudsman”. The Bill was created in response to the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017, the horrific scenes that took place were a direct result of the serious failing of the building and the management of the properties. The Bill ensures that there is accountability throughout the sector, to ensure that those responsible for the safety of high-risk buildings and their occupants are doing what they need to, and that for any mistakes, they are held accountable and made to put them right.

The Building Safety bill is currently in the House of Commons and is awaiting its third reading. The report stage gives MP’s an opportunity to consider further amendments to a Bill which has been examined in committee. Once the report stage has completed, this is followed by a debate. There are 8 further stages the Bill must go through to gain Royal Ascent, it is expected that the Building Safety Bill will come onto the statute book and become the Building Safety Act, between April and July 2022.

To keep abreast of the changes, check out this link which will take you straight to the Parliamentary Bills website, where all the updates in Bill Passage are made.

The Building Safety Regulator will be a governing body who will be given powers to enforce the rules set out in the Building Safety Bill and act against those who break them. The Regulator will also implement a new set of more stringent rules for high rise properties, including how they are designed, constructed, and occupied. The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator shows a proactive, rather than reactive approach to building safety, which the sector has needed for some time.

The Building Safety Bill introduces stronger requirements on Accountable Persons to ensure building safety risks in occupied properties are properly managed. It can be the case that Accountable Persons may not have all the competencies required, therefore the role of the Building Safety Manager was created to assist the Accountable Person meet their obligations. This role can be given to either an individual or organisation who are sufficiently competent, knowledgeable, and experienced to carry out effective day-to-day management of building safety risks.

Property compliance is achieved through the adherence to all relevant legal obligations, regulations, and Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP) relating to a property. Within the housing sector, these obligations are placed on landlords and property owners, ranging from social housing to private student lettings. Property compliance focuses on 6 key areas these are:

1. Electrical Safety

2. Gas and Heating Safety

3. Fire Safety

4. Water Hygiene Safety

5. Asbestos Management

6. Lift Safety

This list is not exhaustive and there are circa 97 areas of compliance that a landlord or housing provider needs to manage. For a confidential chat about the areas of compliance you may need support with, speak to an expert.