Category: Building safety
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What happens if your registered building control approver becomes insolvent?
Earlier in the week the industry was shaken following the collapse of Assent, one of the UK’s largest building control firms. Tim Hillier and Olivia Jenkins explain the options available after a building control body ceases trading. However, there is inevitable uncertainty surrounding when any such discretion will be exercised, and all those involved in…
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What happens if your registered building control approver becomes insolvent?
Earlier in the week the industry was shaken following the collapse of Assent, one of the UK’s largest building control firms. Tim Hillier and Olivia Jenkins explain the options available after a building control body ceases trading. However, there is inevitable uncertainty surrounding when any such discretion will be exercised, and all those involved in…
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Building owner fined £50,000 after ignoring high-rise fire safety warning
Birmingham City Council has successfully prosecuted a company for failing to comply with an improvement notice relating to fire safety measures in a residential high-rise. Freehold Managers (Nominees) Ltd, the company responsible for Centenary Plaza on Holliday Street, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an improvement notice during sentencing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 16…
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Key building safety group opens competence consultation
“Following the consultation period, the IFTG will review the feedback with our technical Steering Group, collaborate with the ICC to ensure both guidance documents remain aligned, before getting final sign off from the full ITFG,” said Hooper. “Once published through members’ channels, the guidance will be an open-source document, accessible to all.” View the original…
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Gateway 2 bottleneck set to be clear by January
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has released its October update on Gateway 2 building approval applications. In the report, BSR confirmed that it will work through the backlog of applications by January 2026. The BSR’s newly-established innovation unit (IU) now handles 27 of the new‑build applications – comprising 6,192 housing units – and is achieving the mandated 12‑week…
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How the golden thread is improving fire safety
Getting the fire safety profession to embrace digital information management is still a challenge, says Aman Sharma MBE, chair of BSI’s strategic fire safety committee for the built environment. He tells Will Mann how golden thread guidance update BS 8644-1 can assist. Image: Solo777 | Dreamstime.com Will Mann: The ‘golden thread’ of information is central…
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Fire safety standards: what’s coming next for construction?
Aman Sharma MBE is the new chair of BSI’s strategic fire safety committee for the built environment. He tells Will Mann what new standards construction should look out for. Image: Dreamstime Will Mann: Tell us about your work as chair of the FSH/0 committee. What changes can the construction industry expect in fire safety standards…
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Pick Everard introduces Building Safety Act training for clients
Design consultancy Pick Everard has introduced Building Safety Act training for clients, covering compliance obligations and best practice guidance. The Building Safety Act was introduced in response to the Grenfell Tower disaster and aims to improve building safety standards. The expanded training covers how to build compliance into all aspects of the design and construction…
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New law will require high-rise cladding remediation by 2029
The government is bringing forward a new Remediation Bill requiring landlords of buildings 18m or more in height with unsafe cladding to complete remediation by the end of 2029. The law will also set a 2031 cladding remediation deadline for owners of buildings 11-18m in height. Under the new legislation, those failing to comply without…
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Building Safety Levy: draft regulations and guidance published
The draft regulations outlining how the Building Safety Levy will operate have been laid in Parliament before final approval. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also published guidance explaining how the levy will work and its exceptions. The Building Safety Levy will come into effect in autumn 2026, when developers of residential…