Building safety

Subcontractors should be forced to meet the same competence and training standards as tier one firms on public contracts to tackle low-pricing culture, a coalition of trade groups and unions have told the government. The 11-strong coalition wrote to business minister Chris McDonald calling for the government’s latest procurement reforms…

The Building Safety Regulator will turn its focus to driving down the number of live cases relating to remediating unsafe buildings in 2026, the body’s chief executive has told Construction News. Despite the strides made on clearing new-build applications, the volume of live cladding remediation cases has remained stubbornly at…

Max Meadows is managing director of construction safety consultancy Project Four Six months ago, many in the industry would have described their experience of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as challenging at best. Today, the picture feels more balanced. “The challenge for the next phase is turning it into a…

Charlie Pugsley on clearing backlogs, improving transparency – and why his emergency service background matters

The government’s plan for a single construction regulator promises a reset of professional competence across the built environment. But as ministers look beyond buildings and products to the professions themselves, industry figures warn that licensing alone will not fix deep-rooted problems of skills, accountability and culture.

An investigation is underway after architectural cladding fell off a Vinci-built office in Blackpool. Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employees at the Fylde View building (pictured) were evacuated following the incident in which a piece of external brise soleil dropped to the pavement from the sixth floor. No injuries…

Investigators working for the government’s housing ministry used covert methods – including a false cover story – without legal authority in order to gather intelligence on cladding compliance. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) admitted in October 2023 to indirectly and unknowingly employing undercover agents to aid…

Persimmon Homes has become the first housebuilder to sign the Scottish Government’s developer remediation contract, pledging to carry out and fund cladding remediation works on buildings it is responsible for. The contract commits developers to assess safety issues, repair life-critical fire safety defects on buildings taller than 11 metres built…

With the infrastructure boost offset by a slow housebuilding market and the ongoing skills crisis, the construction industry is hoping for a better year ahead

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has raised concerns about potential structural weaknesses in buildings constructed with reinforced concrete transfer slabs. The regulator issued guidance on 19 December after identifying a possible failure mechanism known as “punching shear” in such slabs. This occurs when concentrated loads cause a column to punch…