A three-year government funding programme has been introduced after the Grenfell Inquiry identified a lack of qualified safety professionals in the built environment sector.
The £55m funding will increase the number of registered building inspectors (RBIs) up to 700, including those who can inspect higher-risk buildings.
Shortages of qualified professionals in safety-critical roles in the built environment were highlighted in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, with several recommendations concerning building control.
There are currently just over 4,000 building inspectors in England and Wales, according to the Building Safety Regulator, but only a small proportion are competent to inspect higher-risk buildings.
Funding allocation
The £55m will be allocated to local authorities’ building control teams in England to recruit new RBIs and train them to the required Class 2 standard. Funding will also be used to upskill “many to the (Class 3H) standard to inspect higher-risk buildings”, the government says.
Training costs for new entrants in registered building control approvers and local authorities will also be covered by the programme.
Samantha Dixon, minister for building safety, fire and democracy, said: “This is a vital step in building 1.5 million safe homes and ensuring we continue to deliver on lessons from the Grenfell Tower tragedy.”
