The government has published two sets of consultations, seeking construction’s views on implementing new building control measures and changes to building regulations.
The consultations are part of a series of regulations that provide technical proposals to support the law as set out in the Building Safety Act 2022. They provide further detail on how it will operate and be enforced.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will use responses to develop the content of regulations before they are laid before parliament.
Building control and building regulations consultation
The first of the two 12-part consultations relate to the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings, and wider changes to building regulations under part 3 of the Building Safety Act 2022.
It asks for the construction industry’s views on:
- Dutyholder and competence requirements on building work and additional duties for those working on higher-risk buildings.
- The system of gateway points to strengthen regulatory oversight on higher-risk buildings.
- The approach to Regulator’s notices to support building projects which comprise both higher-risk building work and non-higher risk building work.
- Additional requirements for building work carried out on higher-risk building work such as refurbishments.
- Stronger change control during the construction of higher-risk buildings.
- The process of certifying building work that has been carried out without building regulations approval.
- Establishing better record keeping and management in higher-risk buildings (golden thread of information).
- A mandatory occurrence reporting system in higher-risk buildings.
- More rigorous enforcement powers for building work in all buildings.
- Wider changes to building regulations to align the existing system with the new system.
- The transitional provisions for changing to the new higher-risk building regime.
- Equalities assessment.
In-occupation regime consultation
Meanwhile, the second consultation looks at the in-occupation regime for occupied higher-risk buildings. This contains another 12 consultation sections all relating to proposals for occupied higher-risk buildings under part 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022.
It is seeking views on areas such as mandatory occurrence reporting, residents’ voice and duties on residents, golden thread contents, how the golden thread should be managed and stored, key building information, and duties on the accountable person to share information.
The consultations will be open until 12 October 2022.
