Last week, the ISSG released its latest report ‘scrutinising progress towards change post-Grenfell, with the group believing competence in construction is ‘still a huge challenge’, with a ‘lack of widespread, proactive leadership’. The report sets out its views on the progress made by the industry ‘to implement changes to building safety’.
Other members include former Hyde Housing chief executive Elaine Bailty, L&Q resident board member Fayann Simpson and National Fire Chiefs Council protection vice chair Nick Coombe. Within the report, the group published a series of case studies ‘demonstrating good practice’ across the sector, but warned that ‘not all in the industry have embedded good practices and embraced the changes required to ensure the safety of buildings’.
It was also ‘surprised by the lack of emergence of a visible and effective leadership group to develop a unified view and commitment across all sections of the construction industry in relation to driving improved quality and safety’. The repot also raised concerns on the ‘potential impact’ on the sector of COVID-19, and feared that ‘the expected economic downturn could result in corners being cut once more and commercial pressures being used as the excuse for further poor practice and delay’.
The report criticised parts of the sector ‘for failing to provide leadership’, but it also ‘singled out for praise’ a series of other bodies, including the National Housing Federation, Vistry Partnerships, Salix Housing Association and Salford City Council. It was released over two years after Dame Judith’s review of building regulations and fire safety, in which she criticised the construction industry’s ‘race to the bottom’, and called for a new building safety regulator.
A new regulator has now been confirmed as part of the draft building safety bill, while the ISSG’s first report published in July 2019 ‘concluded that progress towards change had been slow across the building industry’. In response to the report, Building Safety Minister Lord Greenhalgh wrote to Dame Judith.
He stated in his letter: ‘The publication of the draft Building Safety Bill has now provided further clarity to industry on what is expected. It is vital that the industry is preparing and making these changes now, and I thank you for your support in driving this through the ISSG.’
Arla has now reported on further comments from Dame Judith and the ISSG’s report, specifically in relation to the ‘need for further change for the industry now’ ahead of legislation coming into force in the shape of the building safety and fire safety bills. Lord Greenhalgh’s letter to Dame Judith welcomed the group’s ‘progress towards an overarching system of competence for the new building safety regime’, and the ‘significant progress’ made towards forming a system of competence.
The ISSG report was said to have ‘clearly’ shown that ‘there is still more work to be done in challenging those parts of the construction industry who are waiting for legislation to make the required changes’, with the draft building safety bill having ‘provided further clarity on the expectations of the industry’, which ‘should start to prepare for these changes now’.
Dame Judith commented: ‘In the next year one important task which we will undertake is to look for ways to recognise and accredit those who are leading the industry in the right direction. We believe that consumers deserve to know who they can trust and those who are showing the right commitment should be recognised.
‘We all acknowledge that the coming year is going to be challenging for our economy as a whole and that will include the built environment. There remains a pressing need for new homes and for dwellings that are compatible with achieving Net Zero but there can be no question of trade-offs – ensuring that residents feel safe and are safe in their homes remains constant.’