Construction regulator

GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY: PHASE 2 REPORT OVERVIEW, REPORT of the PUBLIC INQUIRY into the FIRE at GRENFELL TOWER on 14 JUNE 2017, published in September 2024, states:

In our view all the functions to which we have referred, as well as some others to which we refer below, should be exercised by a single independent body headed by a person whom, for the sake of convenience, we shall call a construction regulator, reporting to a single Secretary of State. The establishment of such a regulator would bring a number of benefits, not least a focal point in driving a much-needed change in the culture of the construction industry. It would enable information to be shared effectively between those responsible for different aspects of the industry and promote the exchange of ideas. Information on developments in the industry, both in this country and abroad, could be shared more easily between all those interested in it. We envisage that such a construction regulator would have sufficient resources to take on the following functions, most of which are currently discharged by one or other of a variety of bodies:

• a. the regulation of construction products;
• b. the development of suitable methods for testing the reaction to fire of materials and products intended for use in construction;
• c. the testing and certification of such products;
• d. the issue of certificates of compliance of construction products with the requirements of legislation, statutory guidance and industry standards;
• e. the regulation and oversight of building control;
• f. the licensing of contractors to work on higher-risk buildings;
• g. monitoring the operation of the Building Regulations and the statutory guidance and advising the Secretary of State on the need for change;
• h. carrying out research on matters affecting fire safety in the built environment;
• i. collecting information, both in this country and abroad, on matters affecting fire safety;
• j. exchanging information with the fire and rescue services on matters affecting fire safety;
• k. accrediting fire risk assessors;
• l. maintaining a publicly available library of test data and publications.

We are aware that in the period since the Grenfell Tower fire Parliament has passed the Building Safety Act 2022 to regulate work on higher-risk buildings, to impose particular duties on those involved in the construction and refurbishment of such buildings and to establish a Building Safety Regulator responsible for building control and for overseeing standards of competence. However, responsibility for the range of functions identified above remains dispersed. We therefore recommend that the government draw together under a single regulator all the functions relating to the construction industry to which we have referred.

[edit] Related article on Designing Buildings

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• Building Regulations – Part B
• Building Safety Act 2022
• Building Safety Regulator
• Building safety in Northern Ireland
• Building safety in Scotland
• Building safety in Wales
• Building Safety Wiki
• Client responsibilities
• Competence
• Competence standards (PAS 8671, 8672, 8673)
• Competence Steering Group
• Fire safety
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
• Golden thread
• Grenfell Tower
• Grenfell Tower Inquiry
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• Regulator of Construction Products
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• The Fire Safety Act 2021