The Building Control Independent Panel (BCIP) has opened a call for evidence to industry stakeholders to share their views on the future of the building control process in England
Responses to the online survey will be used to assist BCIP in providing analysis, advice, and eventual recommendations to the government regarding the building control system in England.
Appointed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) in April 2025, as previously reported by the FPA, the scope of the BCIP is to work alongside stakeholders and building control professionals to respond to concerns raised in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
“The Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report, published on 4 September 2024, recommended an independent panel be set up to consider two questions relating to the operation of the building control system in England – whether to remove commercial interest from the system and whether certain functions should be moved to a 'national authority' model,” MHCLG said.
Some of questions listed in the panel’s online survey include whether the BCIP should retain a balance between advice and enforcement, the key minimum skill sets required in any Building Control Body (BCB), whether there is effective oversight and enforcement of the Competent Person Scheme (CPS) self-certification schemes, and stakeholder views on the benefits/risks of local government organisation proposals.
Comprising 16 questions in total, the survey also inquires whether enforcement functions would be better served by a more centralised system working in partnership with local authorities where action is necessary.
Responses to the online survey will be used to assist the panel in determining their answers to those questions and their recommendations to the government. As such, BCIP is looking to hear from building control bodies and those who engage with the system, such as developers, architects, the fire and rescue services, and clients/dutyholders.
“The panel will also want to ensure responses from groups representing Grenfell survivors and bereaved, wider resident safety groups, and home buyers, to understand their perceptions and experiences of the role of the building control system in England,” MHCLG added.
Open from 29 July 2025 to 29 August 2025, evidence collected as part of the survey will be used to inform the panel’s report to the government later in the year.
Full details of the call for evidence and how to submit responses can be found here.