Building Safety Regulator becomes standalone body

A key recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the move means the BSR will move from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to become an arm’s-length body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Originally established in 2021 in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, BSR’s full powers came into force under the Building Safety Act 2022. 

According to a statement, the move to standalone status is underpinned by a significant ‘operational reset’ in BSR’s role as the building control authority for higher-risk buildings. 

Lord Roe, Chair of BSR, said:

Today is a decisive and important step in strengthening building safety and a milestone that marks our evolution into a standalone regulator. While the creation of BSR in 2021 was a watershed moment, today is about looking forward to a single construction regulator that brings coherence to a once-fragmented system. 

We will know we are successful when residents acknowledge we have made the built environment safer.

Today is about continuing to support homes being built safely while fulfilling our primary mission: ensuring we are all building better and living safer, together.