Building Safety Regulator calls on residents to have their say

• The Building Safety Regulator has been established in the Health and Safety Executive, as part of the building safety reforms, following recommendations in the Hackitt review after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

• The Building Safety Act 2022 introduces a more stringent, regulatory regime for England to make sure that residents living in high-rise buildings are safe and feel safe in their homes.

• HSE is putting residents at the heart of building safety as it launches the recruitment of their first ever Statutory Residents’ Panel (SRP).

Residents of high-rise buildings in England can now apply to be a part of a Residents’ Panel, ensuring their voice is heard during the development and implementation of the new building safety regime.

The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to set up a panel to help the regulator with its work and to help shape policy and guidance. Members will have an important role in helping to decide how the building safety regime will work in the future.

The regulator is looking for twenty people to form the panel. It will be made up of a broad representation of residents from different locations, housing types and demographics.

HSE’s Chief Inspector of Buildings, Peter Baker, said: “Residents will be at the heart of the new building safety regime. Setting up the Residents’ Panel is an important milestone in the BSR’s development. This group of individuals will make sure that residents will have a say on how building safety will be managed in the future, building on the valuable early work undertaken by our Interim Residents’ Panel.”

The panel will meet up to six times in the first year to give BSR advice on different aspects of its design, policies, and procedures, based on members’ real-life experience of living in high-rise properties. There are certain areas where the panel must be consulted by law. The group will also be able to set up smaller working groups to explore relevant, emerging issues.

Peter continued: “Good communication with all high-rise residents is so critical to the success of the BSR and the new regime. We want to make sure residents understand what the reforms mean for them, what their rights are, and what part they will play in the building safety regime in the future. This panel will act as the voice of their community.  If you live in a high-rise building and would like to take part, we want to hear from you.”

Applications close on Friday 18 November 2022. More information can be found here.