Building Safety Regulator Shake Up Aims to Speed Up Housebuilding and Improve Regulatory Processes

The Government has announced a major reform package for the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), designed to speed up the delivery of safe, high-quality homes while maintaining a strong focus on resident and building safety.

The BSR has been plagued by delays, particularly at Gateway Two approvals.

The reforms, unveiled on 30 June 2025, aim to address delays in the approvals process for new high-rise developments, introduce a new Fast Track Process, and lay the groundwork for a single construction regulator.

What’s Changing?

A new board is being established under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to oversee the BSR. This marks the first step in the transition of the BSR’s responsibilities from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to an arm’s length body dedicated to building regulation.

The Government has appointed Andy Roe KFSM, former Commissioner of London Fire Brigade, as the non-executive Chair of the new shadow board. He will work alongside the newly appointed BSR CEO, Charlie Pugsley, to drive forward improvements to the BSR’s structure and performance.

Fast Track to Unlock Delays

One of the key measures is the creation of a Fast Track Process within the BSR. This will bring in additional inspectors and engineers to address backlogs and accelerate the review of both new-build applications and remediation decisions. The BSR is significantly expanding its workforce, aiming to add over 100 new staff members to bolster its capacity and reduce delays. This increase represents a 60% growth in the BSR's workforce. While this is welcome news, questions remain over where this influx of experts will come from in a sector already struggling for expertise.

The announcement is in direct response to industry concerns that the current regulatory system, while essential for ensuring safety, has introduced untenable delays that are critically hindering housing delivery.

What This Means

For NFRC Members working on high-rise and complex residential buildings, these reforms will ideally help reduce delays and provide more clarity on regulatory expectations.

By streamlining application and remediation reviews, the new Fast Track Process could help contractors:

Plan workloads and timelines more effectively
Reduce project uncertainty
Get to site more quickly once designs and safety information are submitted

NFRC will continue to monitor the transition and keep Members informed of any changes affecting project approvals, dutyholder responsibilities, or regulatory oversight.

On Wednesday, Construction Leadership Council co-Chair Mark Reynolds confirmed that the CLC is set to issue guidance, drawn up with Building Safety Regulator input, on how building firms can navigate the gateway building control process for higher-risk buildings (HRBs).

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