Draft regulations have been laid before Parliament confirming that the functions of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will be transferred from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to a new executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), from 27 January 2026.
The new body will retain all current powers, staff and live cases managed within the HSE’s Building Safety Division, ensuring continuity while establishing the framework for a long-term, standalone regulator.
New Board Structure
The legislation sets out a new governance model, including:
- A Chair and three to eight board members
- Committees covering building control, industry competence, and residents’ views
This marks the first phase in the Government’s ambition to create a single construction regulator, as recommended in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report.
Licensing Scheme for Principal Contractors
Another key Inquiry recommendation is the introduction of a licensing scheme for Principal Contractors working on Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs).
Build UK recently hosted a roundtable with MHCLG to explore how such a scheme could operate in practice.
There was strong support for a system that builds on existing requirements, including the Common Assessment Standard. MHCLG is expected to consult on licensing proposals in autumn 2026.
Progress on Remediation
MHCLG has also published new data on remediation across residential buildings 11 metres and over in England, up to September 2025:
- 35% of the 5,558 identified buildings have now completed remediation
- A further 13% have work underway
The new Remediation Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, will require landlords of buildings 18 metres and over to complete remediation by the end of 2029.
Progress continues on buildings with unsafe ACM cladding, with 91% now fully remediated.