Jane Cozens This month April was a month of technical detail becoming live operational reality. New fire evacuation requirements came into force, the BSR published its first strategic plan as a standalone regulator alongside sharply improved Gateway 2 data, and a cluster of consultations on Approved Document B, construction products, and the proportionality of the higher-risk regime … Read more
The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) brought with it a cultural shift in how residents of high-rise buildings must be treated. Resident engagement is no longer a matter of good practice alone: it is a legal obligation. At the same time, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has strengthened its consumer standards framework, adding further … Read more
This month Welcome back after the Easter break. March closed with a flurry of activity that will shape building safety regulation for years to come. The consultation on the proposed single construction regulator has just shut, the Construction Products Reform White Paper is out for consultation, and a landmark Upper Tribunal judgment has made clear … Read more
An election day commentary from company director Spencer Neal. As the polling stations swing into action and dogs pose for their Insta moment, most of the punditry is focused on how the 2023 Local Elections are a crucial examination of Labour’s electability at the next General Election. Online blogs and newspaper columns alike drill down … Read more
In 1952, around the time of the last coronation, a Conservative government scrapped the nation’s ID card claiming it was too prone to abuse by a heavy-handed police force and would cause the public to mistrust it. Fast forward 50 years, and the New Labour government pushes through a bill to bring back National Identity … Read more
Today is International Women’s Day, a day that has marked the achievements of women and highlighted injustices they face for over 100 years. Jane Cozens, Director at Keeble Brown, reflects on what International Women’s Day and this year’s theme of #embracingequity means to her. ‘I’ve been very lucky to have a long and varied career … Read more
Today, Friday 9 September 2022, the United Kingdom enters a period of national mourning to mark and commemorate the death of Queen Elizabeth II. All around the world there are people waking up to a new, unsettling, and profound sense of loss, a phenomenon that has surprised many. By trying to understand why there is … Read more
Prior to 5 May commentators agreed that the 2022 local elections represented a potential watershed moment in UK politics. To an extent they were right. While local elections often point to trends that will influence the upcoming general elections, the 2022 ballots had the potential to significantly undermine the Conservative Party leader and prove the … Read more
September is a busy period in the social affairs calendar: Parliament is back, inquiries have resurfaced, and party conference season is starting. Ministers have said goodbye to the serenity of summer holiday season and are facing up to the old and new challenges that lie ahead. As autumn arrives we find ourselves with a … Read more
The appointment of Michael Gove as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in the latest reshuffle has taken many in both the commentariat and housing industry by surprise. Gove has the reputation among his colleagues of being the ultimate survivor; he has served in successive cabinets dating back to 2010 and has … Read more
