Prepare for the Building Safety Bill, with our Building Safety Bill Preparedness Workbook

The Building Safety Bill (the Bill) is said to be the most significant and wide-ranging change to the regulatory environment for higher risk building (HRBs) for over 45 years.

The headline reforms outlined in the Bill include:

• The introduction of a new duty holder regime for all HRBs;
• Providing greater detail on the role and powers of the Building Safety Regulator;
• The requirement for an on-going assessment of building safety risks, and the collation of the ‘golden thread of information’;
• New rights of access for building owners to undertake building safety works and the ability to charge leaseholders for those works;
• Rights for residents to request copies of building safety information, and new obligations on residents regarding building safety.

Although there is not yet a timetable for when this Bill will be published, there is no doubt that the changes outlined in the Bill will require owners and managers of HRB’s to take significant steps to ensure that they are prepared for the Bill becoming law. A number of these reforms will necessitate significant preparatory work in advance of the Bill becoming law. Social housing providers will therefore be understandably concerned as to how to best prepare for the new regulatory regime.

Preparing appropriately for the Bill becoming law takes on increasing importance when viewed in the context of the ‘Social Housing White Paper’ (published in November 2020), and the recent changes to the ‘ISA (UK) 250A1’ (relating to law and regulations) and ‘ISA 700’ (addressing audit reporting) auditing standards. The updated audit standards require social housing providers to demonstrate to their auditors that they are actively complying with the law and key legal risks, including building safety.

Introducing our Building Safety Bill Preparedness Workbook
To assist social housing providers to prepare for the key reforms contained within the Bill, our building safety experts have created the Building Safety Bill Preparedness Workbook (the ‘Workbook’). The Workbook contains an analysis of five key areas of reform and draws on the expertise from across six different practice areas.

The Workbook sets out 52 questions for social housing providers to consider and answer. The questions and the format have been specifically curated so as to assist steering groups and senior leadership identify areas where good progress is being made and areas where further preparation is needed.

The Workbook is also a useful audit tool. By recording the status of preparations for the Bill becoming law, social housing providers will be able to easily demonstrate to their Boards and auditors that they are engaging with their regulatory obligations and addressing key areas of risk.

To enquire about the Workbook
The Workbook is available for a fixed price, including the option of either:

• A detailed review of the completed workbook and one-hour meeting to discuss the answers; or
• Two hours of free helpline advice from our building safety specialists, in relation to any concerns or questions you may have following the completion of the Workbook.  
  
  

For more information

If you wish to know more about the Workbook or have concerns over building safety issues, please contact Tim Coolican or Lorna Kenyon.

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