Building safety

The panel considering the future shape of building control is seeking industry views on whether enforcement functions should be carried out centrally. The government-appointed Building Control Independent Panel (BCIP), created in response to a recommendation in the Grenfell Tower phase two report, launched its call for evidence yesterday (29 July). Last…

Every floor of Grenfell Tower will take a month to deconstruct, the government has revealed, as extraordinary care is taken with the handling and disposal of materials from the tragic building. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published details of how the west London structure would be demolished.…

A £15m legal claim over flammable cladding on high-rises in London has ended after the parties agreed to an undisclosed settlement. Social housing provider London & Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q) had lodged a claim for damages against Bouygues UK in October 2024. In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire…

Will the appointment of two ex-fire chiefs and removal of HSE make buildings safer?

Connor Mitchell, director at fire-safety consultancy Harmony Fire With questions about industry competence emerging as a central criticism in post-Grenfell Tower inquiries and reports on building safety, a newly published document is a crucial first step in setting out the direction of travel to put things right. “A key omission…

Bristol City Council has approved plans to fast-track the replacement of unsafe cladding in council high-rise blocks, after government moves to speed up the process of remediating buildings. In an effort to hasten delivery, the local authority will now approach the removal of unsafe cladding as individual jobs, rather than…

Guidance agreed by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) gives new details on how developers can submit partial designs at gateway two if they can still prove their buildings will comply with Building Regulations. The guidance, released today by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), provides wording describing the Approval with Requirements…

Landlords with unsafe cladding on their buildings face fines or prison if they fail to fix them within new deadlines set out in forthcoming legislation. The Remediation Bill would require owners of buildings of 18 metres in height and taller to make their properties safe by the end of 2029.…

A special needs school in Somerset is set to demolish three buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), according to planning documents. Selworthy Special School asked Somerset Council whether it objected to the demolition of three extensions previously used for storage. The structures are built with RAAC roof panels spanning…

The panel considering the future of building control has highlighted barriers which could hinder the ending of private sector involvement in signing-off buildings. On Tuesday, the government-appointed Building Control Independent Panel, created in response to a recommendation in the Grenfell Tower part two report, published its "problem statement" and announced…