The building safety regulator will get new leadership and a fast-track process to speed up construction of new high rises under reforms to the watchdog. Andy Roe has been appointed as non-executive chairman of a new shadow board during the transition to making it a single construction watchdog – a key recommendation from the Grenfell Tower inquiry.
Mr Roe, a former commissioner of London Fire Brigade, will be supported by Charlie Pugsley as new chief executive of the regulator. The body was launched in 2023 after the fire at Grenfell Tower in London that killed 72 people.
It is tasked with regulating the design and construction of higher-risk buildings and providing oversight for safety and standards of all buildings. It has been part of the Health and Safety Executive – the watchdog for workplace health and safety – since its creation but will eventually become an executive agency.
A new fast-track process aims to bring building inspection and engineering into the regulator to speed up how new-build cases and remediation decisions are processed and reviewed as Labour works to meet its target of building 1.5 million homes.
Alex Norris, minister for building safety, said: “The establishment of the building safety regulator (BSR) has been fundamental to centralising safety in the construction process and it’s time to take the next steps to build on that precedent and create a system that works for the sector whilst keeping residents and their safety at the heart of the process.
“That’s why we’re announcing a package of reforms to the BSR today to enhance operations, reduce delays and unlock the homes this country desperately needs – delivering on our Plan for Change.”
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