1 July 2025
David Smith featured in property press on building safety regulations overhaul
Property Partner David Smith has been quoted widely in the property press on the Government’s major reforms to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), in a bid to speed up housing delivery and tackle delays in the current system.
The BSR will move out of the Health and Safety Executive and become an independent executive body within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – part of wider plans to deliver 1.5 million homes and create a single construction safety regulator, as recommended by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
David described the move as “a significant shift” in approach. He noted that the Building Safety Act had always allowed for this kind of reform and said delays in progressing projects likely contributed to the decision.
He continued: “Notably, the government’s emphasis on creating in-house capacity to speed up approvals for both remediation and newbuild developments reflects a broader determination to remove barriers to housing delivery. It’s clear that the government is once again prioritising new housing output, and is willing to reform institutional structures to do so.”
However, David also cautioned that it was “critical that the reforms do not dilute the core focus on safety, which must remain paramount in the post-Grenfell landscape”, warning against any dilution of safety standards in the drive for speed.
Read David’s comments:
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