Building Safety Act (BSA) and Secondary Legislation update
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has published the following Regulations under the Building Safety Act 2022 at the time of writing (7 September 2023).
- The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023
- The Building Regulations (Higher-Risk Building Procedures) (England) 2023
- The Building (Approved Inspectors etc. And Review of Decisions) (England) Regulations 2023
- The Higher-Risk Buildings (Management of Safety Risks etc) (England) Regulations 2023
- The Building Safety Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments etc) Regulations 2023
- The Building Safety (Regulator's Charges) Regulations 2023
These links have been uploaded onto the Building Safety Hub on CIAT's website. As the BSA has implications across the UK, more guidance will be issued once we understand how they will affect the other Nations.
The Institute's working groups, the BSA Principal Designer Competency Steering Group and the BSA Content Panel, have been reviewing the implications of the published documents on members and affiliates.
It is important to be aware that amendments to legislation and statutory instruments are being produced frequently. Therefore, CIAT is keen to issue established information to its members and affiliates.
Any changes will be reflected on CIAT's BSA Hub to ensure all information is current and correct and we recommend you regularly check for updates.
The Steering Group and the Content Panel have highlighted some areas that require further clarification and consideration. Examples of this include the following:
- Guidance within The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 on the roles of Principal Designer and Designer, which will inform the expected functions of Chartered Architectural Technologists on the Institute's Principal Designer Register.
- Reference to PAS8671 for Principal Designers. PAS8671 provides guidance and is not a legal requirement.
The BSA Principal Designer Steering Group is in the process of defining the competencies for the Institute's Principal Designer Register to enable those Chartered Architectural Technologists who intend to provide this function to demonstrate their competence to third parties.
Members and affiliates are advised to familiarise themselves on their legal obligations in relation to the BSA and associated secondary legislation/statutory instruments. Given the complexity of this work and the numerous pieces of legislation affecting different facets of our members' and affiliates' work, please be assured that the Institute is working through the latest versions of the documents in order to provide the correct guidance.
Kevin Crawford PCIAT
President
