In a “landmark step” towards the creation of a single construction regulator, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has officially become a standalone body
Coming into effect on 27 January 2026, the regulator has moved from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to an arm’s length body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG).
Described as a “significant moment for the built environment”, the new organisation is expected to begin the process of establishing a single construction regulator, a key recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This includes the promotion of competence and higher standards, and driving the “vital culture change required by everyone working in the built environment to support this government’s ambition to build more, safe homes, and remediate those which are unsafe”.
Acting Chief Executive Officer for the BSR, Charlie Pugsley, called the move a “significant new chapter” for the regulator, signalling not only a clear focus on improving the operational delivery for both new build and occupied high-rise buildings (HRBs), but also “beyond high-rise oversight to a broader responsibility for safety and standards across buildings in England”.
“By driving professional competence and refining regulatory guidance, we can ensure a holistic approach that spans from initial design through to lifelong building management,” he said.
“Our commitment to robust enforcement and cultural transformation serves a single, vital purpose in 2026 and beyond – restoring resident confidence and trust in the built environment.”
Lord Andy Roe, Chair of the BSR, said it was a “decisive and important step in strengthening building safety”.
“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.”
Samantha Dixon, Building Safety Minister, said that she was looking forward to working with the new leadership team, adding, “Everyone deserves to live in a safe home, and we are determined to deliver lasting change to make this a reality.
“The Building Safety Regulator sits at the heart of this mission, and today launching a new body is an important step in realising sector-wide reform.”
Remediation Improvement Plan
New efficiency measures and the creation of an Innovation Unit (IU) in 2025 saw the regulator undergoing an ‘operational reset’ to address the backlog of building control applications awaiting a decision. Transparency data published up to 24 January 2026 showed a continued rise in overall Gateway 2 decisions, with 698 decisions made across all application types since 3 November 2025. The total number of live applications across all categories stands at 1,159.
Alongside this “continued positive momentum” for new build applications, the regulator added that its open remediation cases had “held steady”. Currently, 286 live remediation cases are being processed, with the regulator also admitting that its resources have been prioritised toward “high-risk projects, funding-constrained sites, and the closure of legacy applications”.
The poor quality of applications received has remained a “significant hurdle,” with the BSR announcing that it would be launching a Remediation Improvement Plan to address application quality and “streamline internal resources”.
Pugsley said: “By driving these improvements, we can ensure we keep essential construction projects being built, while upholding the critical safety standards that protect residents in both new and existing homes.”
Single construction regulator consultation
Opened in December 2025, a consultation seeking views on the government’s proposals for regulatory reform and the development of a single construction regulator will close on 20 March 2026. You can read the FPA news story on this consultation here.
MHCLG has since released the dates of two upcoming webinars about the consultation: 5 February 2026 and 10 March 2026. More details can be found here.
Speaking about the progress being made in this area, Mark Reynolds, Executive Chair of Mace Group and Chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), said:
“Over the last twelve months, we’ve seen a very tangible shift in how BSR has worked with the Construction Leadership Council and developers across the country, and the result has been a more effective process, enabling safer buildings to be commissioned and delivered faster.
“The UK needs confidence that the construction industry, the regulator and government are all working together to deliver new and safe housing at scale – and I believe this moment marks a major step forward on that journey.
“As an independent body and working under the leadership of Charlie and Andy, I have no doubt we’ll see more positive progress during 2026.”