The long-awaited Building Safety Bill has received Royal Assent, almost five years after the Grenfell Tower disaster which prompted the root and branch legislative review.
The new legislation not only aims to improve building standards and the safety of residents but also protect leaseholders from the remedial costs of replacing unsafe cladding.
The Bill was lauded as the “biggest change in building safety legislation in our history” by Minister for Building Safety, Stephen Greenhalgh.
Amongst the new regulations are legal requirements to ensure:
- Individuals responsible for safety during the design, build and occupation of a high-rise residential building are clearly identified
- Residents are provided with a range of clear routes to raise concerns about safety, and ensure their concerns are heard and taken seriously
- Compensation for substandard workmanship and unacceptable defects are clearly laid out
At the heart of the Bill’s reforms, is the creation of the new Building Safety Regulator. Under the auspices of the Health & Safety Executive, it will be responsible for:
- Implementing new, more stringent regulations for higher-risk buildings
- Overseeing the safety and performance of all buildings
- Assisting and encouraging competence among the built environment industry, and registered building inspectors
Adam Davis, a Director with Palmers Solicitors and Head of Construction Law, said: “Although the Bill has now passed into law, in practice the Government has admitted that it could take between 12 and 18 months for all aspects of the new legislation to be fully introduced. Nevertheless, the onus is now on the sector to ensure that it abides by the new rules.”
For more information on the specialist legal support we are able to offer the construction sector or for help and advice on the new building safety legislation, please get in touch with us.