Building Safety recap April, 2026
[edit] In Brief
Throughout April 2026, UK building safety policy and enforcement continues to focus on implementation of the Building Safety Act regime, competence, and fire risk management in HRBs. BSR introduced measures to reduce remediation delays and improve caseload handling, alongside updated guidance for higher-risk building approvals that tighten expectations for evidencing compliance and expand definitions of remediation work. A major Technology and Construction Court ruling on Building Liability Orders strengthens accountability by confirming they can be applied early and extended across corporate structures, meanwhile government action against developers in recovering cladding costs reinforces the principle that industry, not taxpayers, should fund remediation. Parliamentary debate and ministerial activity also reflected ongoing efforts to strengthen oversight, improve regulatory capacity, and address bottlenecks in delivery. Alongside this, new guidance on Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and supporting toolkits marked a shift toward more personalised evacuation planning for vulnerable residents, while updated Secure Information Boxes guidance improved emergency information access for fire services.
Industry and policy debate has increasingly centred on competence, fire safety standards, and the balance between safety, delivery, and decarbonisation. The Industry Competence Committee and ITFG issued guidance reinforcing structured, organisation-wide competence management beyond qualifications, emphasising leadership, culture, and continuous assessment. Fire safety standards tightened in practice, with stricter expectations around fire doors, increasing liability for Responsible Persons, and new guidance and funding to reduce reliance on waking watches through alarm systems. Tensions are starting to emerge around the direction of regulation, with the onging consultation and proposals to revise Approved Document B, which critics warn could restrict timber use in high-rise buildings and slow decarbonisation efforts. Other developments included rising concern over lithium-ion battery fires from e-bikes and e-scooters, updates to product safety laws to address digital markets and online sales, and sector-wide initiatives on fire door automation and school sprinkler policy.
[edit] In Detail
[edit] ITFG guidance on managing competence across the built environment, 30 April / May.
Practical guidance to help organisations of all sizes manage competence in a proportionate, risk-based way across the built environment, aligning with ICC principles and future British Standard development. Developed in collaboration with various bodies including ECA, the guide stresses that competence management is about more than qualifications: it requires leadership, defined role requirements, assessment, verification, and ongoing monitoring of people’s skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours.
[edit] The Fire Safety Report 2026. 30 April.
The Fire Safety Report 2026 is a new independent study commissioned by NSI and BAFE, the research suggests UK fire safety is becoming more important, but many responsible people still feel unsure they are doing everything correctly. It highlights a growing demand for reassurance, with buyers placing more value on proof of competence, independent verification, and certified providers than on cost alone.
https://www.nsi.org.uk/fire-safety-report/
[edit] The Bill Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) becomes Act 2026. 29 April.
A Bill to Authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State in connection with the commemoration of the victims of the fire at Grenfell Tower; and for connected purposes.
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4082/stages
[edit] Government takes property developer to court over cladding remediation funds. 28 April.
The UK government pursuing Urban Splash in a tribunal that began on 27 April 2026 to recover approximately £48–£50 million of public funding used for cladding remediation and waking watch costs at seven of the developer’s Manchester sites, arguing the developer should have paid instead of taxpayers. MHCLG is seeking a Remediation Contribution Order under the Building Safety Act 2022, as the developer "did not do the right thing,” whilst they contend they lacked the funds, and did what it could. It challenges the retrospective application of building standards as legally uncertain and a human rights breach. The case highlights the government’s stance that developers connected to unsafe buildings must bear remediation costs, not the public, following the 2020 Building Safety Fund created after Grenfell.
[edit] Hackney Council shells out £15.6 million on fire safety consultants. 27 April.
Hackney Council will pay consultants over £15m to carry out a comprehensive fire safety review of high- and mid-rise blocks across its housing estates, funded entirely by government grants under the Cladding Safety Scheme to meet a 2029 deadline. Following Grenfell, the council has removed cladding from high-rises on four estates, dealt with unsafe insulation and cladding issues, revised its fire door replacement target to around 7,500 by 2028 for blocks of seven storeys or higher, and installed dry risers outside more than 300 buildings since 2018
[edit] The 2026 Compliance Landscape: Why 'Business as Usual' is a Liability 26 April.
Understanding UK fire door regulations in 2026 is essential for anyone responsible for a building, as the fully enforced Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the major 2026 revision of BS 8214 have together raised compliance standards significantly. Industry inspections indicate around 75% of fire doors in existing UK stock fail basic checks due to gaps, damaged seals, or incorrect hardware. The Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 now faces heightened legal exposure, with courts directly referencing BS 8214 when assessing duty of care, meaning ignorance is no longer a defence and non-compliant fire doors represent a clear liability rather than just a maintenance issue.
[edit] ICC Setting Expectations on Competence Management. 26 April.
The Industry Competence Committee (ICC) publish Setting Expectations for Competence Management, which explains how organisations involved in design, building work, and building safety management (especially for HRBs) should manage and assure competence to meet duties under the Building Safety Act 2022. It requires organisations to have suitable policies, procedures, systems and resources so people have the right skills, knowledge, experience, behaviours and supervision, with expectations proportionate to organisational size, complexity and risk profile, simpler for smaller organisations and more structured for larger ones. The advice covers all Part 2A building/design work in England and HRB management duties, and emphasises organisational capability, a positive and ethical culture (leadership, integrity, accountability, transparency, continuous improvement), and competence management across four phases (Plan, Develop, Operate, Audit/Review) containing 15 principles from defining purpose and competence criteria, through recruitment, assessment, development, monitoring and subcontractor management, to evaluation and continuous review.
[edit] Architects respond to ADB plans for mass timber. 24 April.
Architects and sustainability experts have criticised proposed changes to the UK’s Approved Document B fire safety guidance, warning they could effectively prevent the use of timber in high-rise buildings and harm efforts to decarbonise the construction industry. The proposed rules would require loadbearing structural elements in buildings over 11 metres to meet strict non-combustibility standards that most timber products cannot achieve. Industry figures argue that timber is one of the most effective materials for reducing embodied carbon emissions and that safe tall timber buildings are possible with the right fire safety measures. Critics also warn that requiring alternative approval routes outside standard guidance would increase costs, delays, and uncertainty for developers and clients, potentially leaving the UK behind other countries in low-carbon construction innovation.
[edit] Independent chair and deputy appointed to BSR advisory committee. 16 April.
Building Safety Regulator (BSR) appoints Dr Barbara Lane as the first independent chair of its Building Advisory Committee, alongside Dr Hywel Davies as deputy chair. Both bring extensive experience in building safety and regulation, with Lane previously serving as an expert witness during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Davies having chaired the committee’s predecessor body. The appointments are intended to strengthen the committee’s role in advising the BSR on improving building safety standards and supporting reforms under the Building Safety Act 2022.
[edit] Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill debated. 14 April.
The Hansard debate from 14 April 2026 focused on wider building safety reforms and the ongoing impact of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Peers discussed the importance of strengthening the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), improving accountability, and ensuring safer construction standards across the UK. Concerns were also raised about delays within the BSR approval system, which some argued are slowing remediation work and high-rise housing delivery. The discussion reinforced the government’s commitment to reforming building safety regulation while balancing safety, housing delivery, and long-term industry change.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2026-04-14/debates/EB8A7ED4-F57F-4DB4-9375-120EE693AA47/details
[edit] Updated Secure Information Boxes (SIB's) Code of Practice. 14 April.
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) release an updated Code of Practice for Secure Information Boxes (SIBs) in residential buildings to improve building safety and emergency response. Developed in response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and recent fire safety legislation, the guidance outlines best practices for the specification, location, security, maintenance, and management of SIBs and Emergency Response Packs (ERPs). It places strong emphasis on ensuring firefighters have access to accurate, up-to-date building information during emergencies, particularly regarding vulnerable residents who may need evacuation assistance. The updated code also incorporates requirements linked to Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs) and supports a more consistent, coordinated approach to fire safety across the sector.
[edit] End of waking watch patrols in council high-rise homes (in Bristol). 13 April.
Bristol City Council announces the end of waking watch patrols in its council-owned high-rise homes following major fire safety improvements, including the installation of enhanced alarm systems and progress on cladding remediation works. Waking watches were originally introduced after concerns over combustible cladding in dozens of tower blocks, with trained patrols monitoring buildings 24/7 as an interim safety measure. The council said the removal of the patrols marks an important milestone in its building safety programme, reducing disruption for residents while maintaining fire safety standards through permanent systems and ongoing improvement works.
[edit] ADSA launch industry initiative to address automation of fire-rated doors. 13 April.
Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) launches industry-wide collaborattive initiative to address concerns around safely automating existing fire-rated doors without compromising their fire performance. The programme brings together manufacturers, trade bodies, and fire testing specialists to carry out controlled testing on common retrofit modifications, such as installing operators, routing cables, and replacing hardware, particularly on timber fire doors. The aim is to develop evidence-based guidance for engineers, specifiers, and building owners on how to maintain fire integrity while improving accessibility through automation. ADSA said the initiative responds to growing demand for automated doors in sectors such as healthcare, education, transport, and commercial buildings, where balancing accessibility and fire safety is increasingly important.
[edit] Kingston Council approves £2.9m to finish final phase of fire safety works. 9 April.
Kingston Council approves additional £2.9 million to complete the final phase of fire safety works across its housing stock, with more than 900 remaining actions expected to be finished within a year. The programme, introduced following updated post-Grenfell safety requirements and routine inspections, includes fire door upgrades, alarm installations, emergency lighting improvements, and wider building repairs. Council leaders stressed that all critical issues have already been addressed and clarified that the works are preventative measures rather than responses to severe structural risks such as combustible cladding.
[edit] BSR to reduce external remediation delays and improve caseloads. 9 April.
BSR publish a new external remediation improvement plan aimed at speeding up the approval and delivery of safety works for higher-risk buildings in England. The plan responds to significant backlogs and delays in processing remediation applications and introduces a series of reforms, including the creation of a dedicated multidisciplinary taskforce with account managers to improve communication and case handling. It also includes a recruitment drive to reduce individual caseloads from around 25 to about 10 cases per regulatory lead, as well as the use of more flexible “approval with requirements” to allow works to begin while technical issues are resolved. The BSR also plans to issue new guidance to help industry submit higher-quality applications and reduce delays caused by incomplete or non-compliant submissions. Overall, the initiative aims to clear older complex cases, reduce decision times to under 12 weeks, and significantly improve the efficiency of the remediation process while maintaining safety standards.
[edit] Ebike and e-scooter fires in UK rise to new record highs. 7 April.
The Guardian reports that fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters in the UK have reached record levels, driven largely by failures in lithium-ion batteries, particularly in cheaply made, modified, or unregulated devices bought online. Fire services recorded hundreds of incidents in 2025, with e-bike fires rising sharply compared with previous years and London remaining the worst-affected area. Many of these fires are linked to battery defects, unsafe charging practices, or conversion kits, and often occur inside homes, where they can spread rapidly and cause severe damage or fatalities. Experts and fire services warn that the growth in incidents reflects the wider proliferation of lithium-battery devices such as e-scooters, vapes, and e-bikes, outpacing regulation and public awareness. They are calling for stronger product safety laws, tighter controls on online marketplaces, and improved consumer guidance to reduce the rising fire risk.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/07/ebike-escooter-fires-uk-rise-record-highs
New fire safety rules: Residential personal emergency evacuation plans (RPEEPs)
[edit] Residential PEEPs: Guidance for Responsible Persons Guidance. 6 April.
The UK government’s updated guidance on Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs) sets out new legal duties for building owners and managers in high-rise and higher-risk residential buildings in England to improve fire safety for residents who may struggle to evacuate independently due to disability or impairment. Under the regulations, Responsible Persons must identify relevant residents, carry out person-centred fire risk assessments, agree reasonable and proportionate mitigation measures, and provide an emergency evacuation statement explaining what individuals should do in the event of a fire. They are also required—subject to resident consent—to share key evacuation-related information with local Fire and Rescue Services, such as location and assistance needs, to support operational response during emergencies. The guidance also introduces mandatory building-wide emergency evacuation plans and requires regular review of individual plans and risk assessments at least every 12 months or when circumstances change. Overall, the policy is designed to embed more structured, personalised evacuation planning into building management while balancing resident consent, data protection, and practical feasibility for housing providers.
[edit] Responsible Persons toolkit 6 April.
The UK government’s Responsible Persons Toolkit supports the Residential PEEPs policy by giving building owners and managers practical, real-world examples of how to improve fire safety and evacuation planning for vulnerable residents. It is not statutory guidance, but a resource that brings together case studies from landlords, councils, and housing providers on measures such as person-centred fire risk assessments, resident engagement strategies, in-flat safety upgrades, and improved information sharing with Fire and Rescue Services. The toolkit highlights how different organisations identify residents who may need assistance, tailor interventions like alarms or monitoring systems, and maintain up-to-date evacuation information in secure systems or boxes for emergency use. It is intended to help Responsible Persons adopt and adapt approaches already used successfully in practice, with the aim of strengthening evacuation planning, improving consistency, and supporting safer outcomes for disabled and vulnerable people living in higher-risk residential buildings.
[edit] T and C Court decision on the scope, timing and effect of Building Liability Orders. 1 April.
Technology and Construction Court ruling on Building Liability Orders (BLOs) under the Building Safety Act 2022. The court confirmed that BLOs can be made early, even before final liability is settled, and can extend to associated companies to ensure those responsible for building safety defects cannot avoid liability through insolvency or corporate structures. It also ruled that adjudication decisions can count as enforceable liabilities for BLO purposes. The decision strengthens the use of BLOs and is expected to increase accountability for developers and contractors in building safety cases.
[edit] Guidance updated Building control approval for higher-risk buildings (update) 1 April.
The 1 April 2026 update to the Building control approval for higher-risk buildings guidance clarifies and strengthens how applications for work on existing higher-risk buildings must be prepared and assessed. It introduces clearer expectations for applicants to evidence how proposed works have been assessed for compliance with building regulations, particularly where assumptions are made due to incomplete building information. The update also expands the definition of category A work to explicitly include internal and external remediation work, alongside other high-impact changes such as alterations to layout, fire safety systems, and escape routes. Overall, the changes aim to improve the quality and consistency of applications submitted to the Building Safety Regulator and ensure that risks in existing higher-risk buildings are properly identified and justified before approval is granted.
[edit] £62m fund for fire alarms to keep residents safe and costs down for leaseholders. 1 April.
The UK government has announced a new £62.7 million Interim Measures Alarm Fund to support the installation of communal fire alarm systems in residential buildings awaiting remediation works, replacing the now-closed Waking Watch Replacement Fund. The scheme is designed to improve resident safety while reducing reliance on costly interim measures such as waking watches, and is expected to save leaseholders hundreds of pounds per month in some cases. It will be delivered by Homes England through the Cladding Safety Scheme and is intended to run alongside wider building safety and remediation programmes, ensuring continued support for affected residents as part of the government’s long-term plan to address unsafe buildings.
[edit] Major updates to product safety laws to ensure they’re fit for the modern age. 31 March
The UK government announce major updates to product safety laws aimed at modernising a regime that is over 20 years old and making it more suitable for today’s digital and globalised markets. The reforms, set out through a series of consultations, propose a new product safety framework that expands the scope of regulated products, strengthens duties across supply chains (including online marketplaces), and improves enforcement against unsafe goods, particularly those sold online. The changes also aim to clarify what counts as a “safe” product by updating risk assessment rules to reflect modern technologies such as smart and connected devices. In addition, the government plans to introduce more flexible labelling rules, including greater use of digital information like QR codes, to support innovation while maintaining consumer protection. Overall, the reforms are intended to close loopholes, improve consistency in enforcement, and ensure UK product safety law keeps pace with new risks and technologies.
[edit] CIC raises concerns to government over new school sprinkler policy. 30 March.
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) writes to the UK Government to raise concerns about new Department for Education guidance that appears to weaken existing policy on sprinklers in new schools. The CIC warns that the revised specification, which removes the requirement to use Building Bulletin 100 (BB100 2007)—a standard that typically required sprinklers in new school buildings unless risk was shown to be low—could lead to fewer schools being fitted with fire suppression systems. It argues that this represents a reversal of established fire safety expectations and could increase the risk of fire damage, disruption to education, and wider community impacts if school buildings are lost to fire. The CIC is urging the government to reconsider the change and has also requested an Equality Impact Assessment to understand potential effects on pupils, staff, and vulnerable groups, particularly those with protected characteristics.
https://www.cic.org.uk/news/cic-raises-concerns-to-government-over-new-school-sprinkler-policy
[edit] Review of Approved Document B: Fire Safety. 26 March.
Overview: Consultation proposal on changes to Approved Document B
The consultation on the Review of Approved Document B (Fire Safety) is part of a wider Building Safety Regulator (BSR) programme to update and clarify England’s statutory fire safety guidance. It proposes a range of significant changes, including new or revised rules on combustible materials in external walls and structural elements, clearer guidance for existing buildings, and the introduction of a threshold that limits when Approved Document B can be relied on for buildings using combustible structural materials such as timber. The consultation also considers expanding requirements for evacuation lifts in residential buildings over 18 metres, updating provisions on roofs (including solar panels), increasing fire resistance standards for certain car parks, and replacing “sheltered housing” terminology with “specialised housing” alongside stronger alarm coverage expectations. Overall, the aim is to improve clarity, reflect new construction methods, and strengthen fire safety expectations while balancing cost and delivery impacts across the built environment.
https://consultations.hse.gov.uk/bsr/review-of-approved-document-b-fire-safety/
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Building Safety wiki recap for 2025.
- Building Safety recap March, 2026
- Building Safety recap February, 2026
- Building Safety recap January, 2026
- Building Safety recap December, 2025
- Building Safety recap November, 2025
- Building Safety recap October, 2025
- Building Safety recap September, 2025
- Building Safety recap August, 2025
- Building Safety recap July, 2025
Quick links
[edit] Legislation and standards
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Secondary legislation linked to the Building Safety Act
Building safety in Northern Ireland
[edit] Dutyholders and competencies
BSI Built Environment Competence Standards
Competence standards (PAS 8671, 8672, 8673)
Industry Competence Steering Group
[edit] Regulators
National Regulator of Construction Products
[edit] Fire safety
Independent Grenfell Tower Inquiry
[edit] Other pages
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