Building Safety Bill
The Building Safety Bill 2019-20 was announced in the Queen’s Speech on 19 December 2019 following the Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017.
Its purpose is to put in place new and enhanced regulatory regimes for building safety and construction products, and to ensure residents have a stronger voice in the system.
The main elements will be:
- An enhanced safety framework for high-rise residential buildings, taking forward the recommendations the Hackitt review.
- Providing clearer accountability and stronger duties for those responsible for the safety of high-rise buildings, with clear competence requirements to maintain high standards.
- Giving residents a stronger voice in the system and ensuring that they fully understand how they can contribute to maintaining safety in their buildings.
- Strengthening enforcement and sanctions to deter non-compliance.
- Developing a new stronger and clearer framework to provide national oversight of construction products.
- Developing a new system to oversee the whole built environment, with local enforcement agencies and national regulators.
- Requiring that developers of new build homes must belong to a New Homes Ombudsman.
For more information see: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8781/
A Fire Safety Bill was also introduced to amend the Fire Safety Order 2005, clarifying that the responsible person or duty-holder for multi-occupied, residential buildings must manage and reduce the risk of fire.
On 2 April 2020, in response to the Building a Safer Future consultation, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP announced steps to introduce mandatory sprinkler systems and consistent wayfinding signage in all new high-rise blocks of flats over 11 metres tall. The government will legislate for these reforms through the Building Safety Bill. For more information see: Government response to the Building a Safer Future consultation.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Robotics and the construction industry.
ECA comments on CLC's three-phase recovery plan.
Their diplomatic and architectural history.
The origins of the six volume series.
Built to defend British waters, only to serve as pirate radio stations later.
A balanced approach to the office
Wellbeing to influence mix of home and office based working.
An introduction to cobotics.
Survey reports on outlook for the engineering sector.
A simple path to possible error avoidance.
Construction + technology = ConTech.
Social distancing and construction sites
New low and high tech tools enter the marketplace.
Report looks at mental health in the built environment.
Radiant wall heating method to control rising damp.
What future infrastructure provision might look like.
Highlighting the health benefits of home improvement.
Pavilions for music, entertainment, and leisure. Book review.