Its reforms in response to the Hackitt report also include making it a criminal offence for failing to comply with the proposed new safety regime for designing and building high-rise homes.
Dutyholders will be required to demonstrate a building’s safety through a new system of gateway points during design and construction, and through a safety case regime during its occupation.
The government will give the new regulator power to take quick and effective action, imposing heavy fines, when designers and contractors fail to comply.
Housing minister James Brokenshire, said: “We have outlined plans for a new building safety regulator to provide oversight of the new building safety regulatory regime.
“This regulator will also oversee the wider building and regulatory system and watch over efforts to assure the competence of those working on buildings.
“We are also proposing to strengthen the oversight and regulation of construction products.
“Finally, the proposed system will be underpinned by strengthened enforcement and sanctions to deter non-compliance with the new regime. We believe that this will help drive real culture change in the industry.”
New building regulator
The regulator will work to drive high standards of competence for those working on buildings.
- Oversight of building safety and wider regulation;
- Operation and enforcement of the new regime for high rise residential buildings, and setting guidance;
- Advising government on what buildings should be included in the scope of the new regime, by developing and analysing evidence on risk
- Oversight of competence of people working on buildings, including keeping a register of those competent to take on key dutyholder roles in the new system and providing guidance on where to find qualified people to work on buildings in scope.
Consultation on the proposed building safety reforms closes on 31 July
Proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system.
