The draft Building Safety Bill has finally been published and the government is now seemingly prioritising the urgent reform of the regulatory system for buildings.
The new regime seeks the safety of residents in high rise buildings amidst other fundamental safety issues following the Grenfell tragedy back in 2017.
The Bill will introduce a new era of accountability, making it clear where the responsibility for managing safety risks lies throughout the design, construction and occupation of buildings in scope.
These will be enforced by stricter consequences to encourage that the essential precautionary measures are being made.
Those that build and manage high rise buildings will need to actively demonstrate how they have considered residents safety in their work, and residents will have access to safety information about their building, ensuring that the voice of the residents will be heard.
The report recognises that many in the industry have already been working to improve standards and have shaped and influenced this bill. However, accelerating this work to improve industry wide culture is imminent.
CHIC will be talking through the effects this will have on the housing and construction industries in our upcoming Webinar, alongside a panel of informed speakers.
You can read the full report here
In Other News
Green Homes Grant
Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer makes key housing related announcements as a part of the Government’s plan to drive economic recovery following COVID-19. In his speech earlier this month, Sunak confirms a £2bn “green homes grant” and the launch of a £50m fund to pilot approaches to decarbonising social housing.
“We believe that decarbonisation is the next big step in asset management and new build. CHIC welcome the news and are looking forward to helping our members deliver safe, carbon reduced homes” Luke Hurd, Chief Operating Officer.
Build, Build, Build
Boris Johnson has announced the most radical reforms to our planning system since the Second World War, making it easier to build better homes where people want to live.
New regulations will give greater freedom for buildings and land in our town centres to change use without planning permission and create new homes from the regeneration of vacant and redundant buildings.
Under the new rules existing commercial properties, including newly vacant shops, can be converted into residential housing more easily, in a move to kick start the construction industry and speed up rebuilding.
We were delighted that the PM says he wants to “Build, Build, Build” our way to a recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic. CHIC and our members stand ready to support the development of “fantastic new homes on brownfield sites” and our off-site manufactured contracts offer the opportunity for both Modular and Timber Frame homes to be built quickly.
