The Building Safety Regulator (Establishment of New Body and Transfer of Functions etc.) Regulations 2026 have just been laid before Parliament, setting 27 January 2026 as the date the new body formally takes control of high-rise safety in England and Wales.

The move ends HSE’s three-year spell running the regulator and creates a permanent corporate body reporting directly to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The new regulator will keep all the powers, staff and live cases currently sitting within HSE’s Building Safety Division.

Ministers said the change will cement the watchdog’s independence, improve transparency and ensure a single national focus on the safety of higher-risk buildings.

Laying the draft regulations Samatha Dixon, minister for Building Safety, said: “This change will position the BSR for the coming years. It will strengthen lines of accountability and give a dedicated focus to BSR operations, and is an important first step towards establishing a single construction regulator, the lead recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.”

The body will be able to prosecute, charge for services, and publish annual reports to Parliament under Freedom of Information rules.

All existing Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 applications, inspections and enforcement cases will automatically transfer over to the new organisation, with transitional arrangements allowing HSE staff to continue supporting live work until the end of 2026.

A new board structure will be put in place, made up of a chair and between three and eight members appointed by the Secretary of State, plus a chief executive. Committees and sub-committees will continue to oversee industry competence, building control, and residents’ voice functions.

The new regulator will be able to bring criminal prosecutions, borrow short-term funds, and receive government grants or loans. Its first financial year will run from 27 January to 31 March 2026, with the first annual report due soon after.