DLUHC says amber rating for Building Safety Regulator is appropriate

The government has said the amber rating handed to the fledgeling Building Safety Regulator (BSR) by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority is appropriate due to the scale of challenge it is facing.

The IPA in its annual report listed the BSR as an ‘amber’ project, meaning “significant issues” exist requiring management attention which should be addressed promptly to prevent cost or schedule overruns.

Responding to the rating, a spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “We are introducing the most significant changes to regulation of building safety for a generation, and the BSR will need to lead a significant change in culture and behaviours across industry and building control.

 “The rating appropriately recognises the degree of challenge in this. The BSR remains on track to meet agreed timelines.”

The IPA report does not detail the specific reasons for the authority’s concern. Around three-quarters of the 244 projects assessed by the IPA are currently rated ‘amber’, which is the second lowest of five ratings.

Since April 6, building owners have been able to register details of their high-rises with the BSR and they have until 1 October to register an estimated 12,500 high-rise buildings. The BSR, which sits within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is taking on more functions over the next few months, including regulating the building control profession from October and issuing building assessment certificates from next April.

>>See also: We are entering a new era for building safety, but are we ready for the new regulator?

However, parliament passed a government-tabled amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill last month giving it the power to replace the HSE as the regulator.

In April, Peter Baker shocked many in the industry by standing down as head of the regulator just weeks after the registration process for high-rise buildings opened.

An HSE spokesperson said: ”“HSE has a positive relationship with the IPA, who provide an independent view of the risks to delivery of BSR. We continue to manage those risks actively to stay on schedule.

”We are confident in our delivery of the complex programme to set up BSR in HSE to a very stringent schedule and we are working closely with DLUCH as they complete the legislative process.”