Insights
Building Safety Round Up – May 2026
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 means the deadline pressure on industry is building fast. A significant TCC judgment on building liability orders adds a further note of urgency for developer groups with complex corporate structures. Regulatory update As anyone who is involved in building safety will know, the building safety
Resident engagement strategies: what social housing landlords need to know
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 obligations around transparency, communication and accountability. For social housing landlords managing higher-risk buildings (HRBs), the two regimes overlap, and understanding both is essential. We thought a run down on what is expected and some best practice pointers would be timely. Who is affected? The basics
Building Safety Round Up – April 2026
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 that corporate structures offer far less protection from remediation liability than many developers had hoped. Regulatory update The MHCLG consultation on the single construction regulator (SCR) closed on 20 March 2026. Published in December 2025 as the first substantive response to the Grenfell Tower
English Devolution Bill and proposals for new mayors and combined authorities – an overview
The English Devolution Bill is intended to establish devolution as the default model across England, empowering mayors and combined authorities with expanded fiscal, planning, and policy-making powers. The legislation’s key reforms are outlined in the December 2024 Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth white paper. They include a statutory devolution framework, enhanced mayoral authority, multi-year funding settlements, and the replacement of two-tier local government structures. The bill forms part of the government’s broader “devolution revolution” to address regional inequalities, decentralise decision-making and streamline local government activity. Given there is so much potential change to prepare for in the planning sector
The Remediation Acceleration Plan
The Remediation Acceleration Plan was announced today. It sets out several key deadlines to ensure the safety of buildings with unsafe cladding in England: – By 31 March 2025: All firms must start remediation work on high-rise buildings (18m+). If they fail to do so, the government may take direct action. – By July 2026: Developers are encouraged to start or complete remedial works on 80% of the buildings for which they are responsible. – By July 2027: Developers should have started or completed remedial works on 100% of the buildings for which they are responsible. – By the end of
Communication is Everything: The Rest is Politics
All organisations which seek to market services or products or have a mission to fulfil, know that communicating their values, vision and brand positioning are at the centre of a successful external relations strategy. With a general election coming up, the same organisations must understand that 4 July is not simply an opportunity for private individuals to exercise their vote. For organisations with a desire to be seen in their sectors, the election presents a golden opportunity to demonstrate positive civic involvement. There are risks in engaging publicly with politics, of course. But, as Jeanette Winterson wrote, “What you risk
