Morning, Thursday, 13th March 2025
Online
This conference will examine developments and the future for building safety in England, looking at regulatory changes and practical implementation of new safety standards for high-risk buildings.
It comes as the Government prepares to respond in full to recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, and following the commencement of new measures under the Building Safety Act 2022.
The conference is bringing together stakeholders with policymakers to discuss next steps for carrying forward 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 for 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 having 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 for the Warm Homes Plan to improve energy efficiency and housing safety. 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 law and legislation, such as new standards for personal emergency evacuation plans and updated testing standards for fire safety in care homes will also be considered, with discussion on addressing critical needs in fire safety and the prevention of tragedies in vulnerable communities.
Further discussion will assess the Building Safety Regulator’s role in enforcing compliance, looking at 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 of 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, and aligning industry, government and regulatory efforts towards a safer built environment.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Richard Goodman, Director General, Safer and Greener Buildings, MHCLG; Nigel Cates, Chief Ombudsman, New Homes Ombudsman Service; and Philip White, Director, Building Safety, Health and Safety Executive. Further senior participants are being approached.
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.
