Last month we reported on the Building Safety Act coming into law and what this means for building owners. As a quick recap, the law brings into effect the biggest changes in how buildings are planned, designed and constructed in a generation. The main changes for leaseholders to bear in mind is that the new legislation provides greater fire safety protection, as a response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
To ensure your firm remains compliant with the law, we’ve put together a timeline of what is required when. The legislation is being phased in over the next 18 months and there are a few key deadlines to focus on over the next 12 months.
Key changes required within the next 12 months
The following changes need to be implemented before 27th June 2023:
- Establish a resident’s panel – a resident’s panel is a working group of residents who live in higher risk buildings and are in back-and-forth communication with the Building Safety Regulator. The panel will have the responsibility to discuss safety issues with the regulator, rather than individual property owners
- Non-cladding defects are capped – the law requires contributions from leaseholders for non-cladding defects and interim measures to be capped and spread over 10 years
- New protections for social housing residents – people with unresolved housing complaints can contact the Housing Ombudsman directly without having to wait the eight week period, or contact an official
Key changes required within the next 18 months
The majority of the changes required by the Building Safety Act must be actioned within the next 18 months:
- The Building Advisory Committee will be established to act as an arm of the Building Safety Regulator. Its aim is to improve the regulator’s oversight of all new building projects
- Accountable persons are expected to take on new responsibilities to ensure leaseholders don’t bear the brunt of the cost of the new law
- Various construction projects will be placed on safe lists and oversights will be designed to ensure construction projects are safe and are carried out to plan
- Accountable persons will have new responsibilities to manage safety risks and communicate with residents
- All new high-rise residential buildings must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator
- Additionally, building control approvers and inspectors must be registered
- All existing occupied high-rise flats and residential buildings must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator
- A new Industry Competence Committee must be founded within the Building Safety Regulator to enable it to perform its functions and ensure the quality of new building construction
Don’t delay – get ahead of the deadline and remain compliant
We understand how tricky it can be for businesses to keep up with new health and safety
regulations. Change is constant and it can be hard to wrap your head around what new laws
mean for your business.
At Hawksafe, we’re here to support you through the changes. If you have any uncertainty
about what is required of your firm, please get in touch with us today and we’ll advise you
accordingly.