Morning, Thursday, 13th March 2025
Online
This conference will examine the future for building safety in England, looking at regulatory changes and practical implementation of new safety standards for high-risk buildings.
It comes following the Government’s recent response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report, committing to implementing all 58 of the report’s recommendations, and the commencement of new measures under the Building Safety Act 2022. The agenda includes a focus on the way forward for implementation of the report’s recommendations.
The conference is bringing together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss next steps for key themes of accountability, transparency and improved regulatory oversight in building safety. Delegates will explore approaches for strengthening accountability mechanisms, with the report highlighting systematic dishonesty in the supply chain for cladding materials and significant regulatory failures.
Sessions will look at the impact of a shift in building control standards for high-risk buildings, hospitals and care homes - where Registered Building Control Approvers now replace previous regulatory roles - requiring new compliance approaches for multi-storey residential and care facilities. Attendees will examine the new duties and responsibilities of those involved in procurement, planning, design, and the management and execution of building projects. We expect discussion on the increased emphasis on competence, with those involved in projects needing to display the appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviour.
Attendees will also consider priorities for the effective use of funding announced in the Autumn Budget for cladding remediation and improving energy efficiency and housing safety under the Warm Homes Plan. Delegates will discuss implications of this investment for affordable housing, social housing needs and the remediation of unsafe cladding in high-risk buildings, particularly in light of the Government’s recently published Remediation Acceleration Plan.
Key changes to fire safety legislation will also be considered, such as new standards for personal emergency evacuation plans and updated testing standards for fire safety in care homes, alongside addressing critical needs in fire safety and the prevention of tragedies in vulnerable communities, as well as looking at the role and remit of the proposed College of Fire and Rescue.
Further discussion will assess the Building Safety Regulator’s role in enforcing compliance, following the operational capacity of building control firms and navigating challenges with implementation of the Building Safety Act, particularly in terms of funding and project timescales. Sessions will examine impacts on investment and funding strategies, regional approaches to building safety compliance, and the increasing importance of multi-agency collaboration to improve safety outcomes across England. The agenda will bring out issues for the industry, including practicalities for implementation, addressing operational challenges and supporting investor confidence.
Drawing on case studies from high-risk sectors and lessons learned from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, delegates will discuss best practice and practical approaches to meeting regulatory demands, including the role and capacity of the proposed Construction Regulator, and aligning industry, government and regulatory efforts towards a safer built environment.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Chandru Dissanayeke, Director, Building Design and Construction, MHCLG; Nigel Cates, Chief Ombudsman, NHOS; Philip White, Director, Building Safety, HSE; Dan Hawthorn, Executive Director, Housing and Social Investment, RBKC; Prof Jose Torero Cullen, Professor and Head, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, UCL; and Adam Nicholson, Group Pre-Construction Director, McLaren Construction Group.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from Defra; DESNZ; MHCLG; DfE; DfC, NI; GLD; DBT; HSE; HoC Library; NAO; ORR; ONS; and the Welsh Government.
