The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, led by Baroness Taylor of Bolton, has officially launched a short but pivotal inquiry into the performance of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which came into existence under the Building Safety Act 2022.
The Building Safety Regulator was established in response to the Grenfell disaster in 2017 and the findings of the Hackitt Review, which highlighted the need for stronger oversight of high-risk residential buildings. Despite its intended purpose, there are growing concerns within the industry about significant delays in the approval process. Timelines that were expected to take 12 weeks for new buildings and 8 weeks for refurbishment projects are now taking as long as 40 to 48 weeks, causing widespread disruption to development programmes
The committee is casting a wide net, inviting evidence from developers, contractors, housing associations, residents, local authorities, and safety experts with the core areas of focus being:
Effectiveness: Has the BSR genuinely improved safety in high‑risk buildings?
Balance: Does its framework ensure clarity for developers while keeping outcomes focused on safety?
Housing Delivery: Are delays significantly impacting the government's goal of building 1.5 million homes?
Clarity & Resourcing: Are the BSR’s processes transparent? Is sufficient expertise in place?
Benchmarking: How does the UK’s model compare with international best practices?
Across the sector, there's been growing frustration due to mounting delays with many contractors up in arms and under pressure over backlogs in the BSR approval process. This outcry reflects broader concerns that the BSR needs to better balance life‑saving fire and building safety with the urgency of addressing Britain’s chronic housing shortages.
This inquiry sits at the critical intersection of public safety and housing delivery. While the urgency of safe high-rise construction and remediation work is indisputable, excessive delays risk stalling vital housing and remediation projects. The outcome of this inquiry may define how England builds and safeguards its housing stock.
The Lords’ inquiry marks an important review and assessment of the BSR to determine if their current processes protect residents while enabling efficient housing delivery and remediation. The balance struck here will likely shape building safety and high-rise construction policy in the coming years.