|
Building safety news and updates
|
October 2026
|
|
|
Welcome to our new PAP's bulletin
Our ebulletin, designed specifically for principal accountable persons (PAPs), is an invaluable source of news and guidance from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) that will land in your inbox every two months. In our latest issue, you will find:
|
|
Toolkit offers essential building safety resources
We have launched a comprehensive free digital toolkit designed to support those legally responsible for more than 13,000 high-rise residential buildings across England.
Specifically targeting more than 3,500 principal accountable persons (PAPs), the managing building safety toolkit provides essential resources for managing fire and structural safety, including:
- on demand webinars, Q&As, useful guides, tips and alerts
- Engaging with residents
-
remediation in existing buildings
- free training for resident-managed building directors
- official guidance for occupied buildings
- guides for high-rise residents
- Your Home, Your Safety resident campaign materials
Charlie Pugsley, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Building Safety Regulator, said: “This managing building safety toolkit represents a significant step forward in our efforts to support principal accountable persons, especially those in thousands of resident managed buildings across England."
The toolkit will be updated regularly as new resources for both PAPs and high-rise residents are produced.
|
|
Putting residents first: Residents’ Panel Chair announced
We have appointed Gill Kernick as the new Independent Chair of our statutory Residents’ Panel.
The panel ensures resident voices and lived experiences directly inform our work to improve the safety of higher-risk buildings.
Serving in a voluntary capacity, Gill will lead the panel to provide independent advice, keeping residents at the heart of everything we do.
She brings decades of experience in organisational culture, systemic change and disaster prevention. As a former Grenfell Tower resident, author and safety specialist, her insight will help guide our regulatory work.
Gill said: “Residents bring a unique understanding of building safety through their everyday lived experience. By bringing this knowledge and insight together with technical expertise, we can help create safer homes.
“The Residents’ Panel provides an important opportunity to ensure that residents’ voices and expertise can meaningfully inform, challenge and refine the building safety regime."
|
Telecommunications work on higher-risk buildings
In September, new telecoms dispensations came into effect for certain building work associated with mobile masts and fibre optic cabling in higher-risk buildings.
This was done to support improved digital connectivity while maintaining building safety standards.
Under new legal dispensations, qualifying fibre optic cabling installations and certain rooftop mobile communications mast projects can proceed without our prior building control approval.
Fibre optic works meeting specified criteria must be notified to us after completion, while qualifying mast projects require applicants to seek a completion certificate.
|
Proportionate, targeted approach for future assessments
We recently announced plans to modify the building assessment process for occupied higher-risk buildings.
A more proportionate, targeted approach while upholding safety standards for thousands of responsible duty holders is planned based on stakeholder feedback.
Key aims include:
- prioritising current assessments
- limiting new application calls during process updates
- reassessments for previously refused certificates
- protecting residents from unexpected costs
- the offer of enhanced support to resident-led buildings
However, all accountable persons must maintain their ongoing legal duties to prevent fire spread and structural risks throughout this transitional phase.
|
New look bulletins will keep you informed
We have re-launched our regular eBulletin service with a new series of regular, free, ‘new look’ updates for residents and industry professionals alongside this one aimed at principal accountable persons (PAPs).
Subscribers will receive building safety and competency guidance, practical resources, training opportunities and ways to shape our work.
The Your Home, Your Safety bulletin would be a useful one to share with your residents and ask them to sign up.
You can sign up directly at:
|
Free training for resident directors
Why not join the hundreds of resident-managed buildings that have already taken advantage of our free online safety training programme developed with The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE).
This much-requested training addresses a need for a better understanding of the landscape under the Building Safety Act 2022.
The “Introduction to the Building Safety Act 2022 for Resident Directors” e-learning course covers:
- understanding the role and responsibilities of BSR
- key provisions of the Building Safety Act 2022
- new duties placed upon principal accountable persons in managing fire and structural safety risks in HRBs
- provision of information and documents and engaging with your residents
- the critical importance of the ‘Golden Thread of information’
|
|
|
Building control guidance for residents
A building control guide for residents of high-rise buildings is now online, with essential advice on what home improvements residents can and can’t carry out without approval.
The guide tells residents, tenants and leaseholders what they need to know before they begin any work on their home. This can help avoid safety risks, breaking the terms of leases or tenancy agreements or even facing legal action and large fines.
|
New toolkit for remediation applications
Free online resources are now available to support applicants or those you may instruct on your behalf to carry out necessary remediation work on your higher-risk buildings.
Our remediation toolkit brings together practical advice about the building control process, how to submit higher-quality applications and help reduce delays caused by incomplete submissions so that your project keeps moving forward.
|
|
News in brief
|
|
 Remediation webinar is online
Our recent Remediation Enforcement Unit webinar and Q&A session is now available to watch on demand.
|
 Connect with us on LinkedIn
If you use LinkedIn, you can follow us and subscribe to our regular posts and roundups of building safety news.
|
 Guidance and resources
Find all the latest guidance and resources in one place to support you as a principal accountable person.
|
|
Are your details up to date?
Once your building is registered, you must tell BSR within 14 days of becoming aware of changes to the:
- building summary
- principal accountable person (PAP)
- accountable persons (APs)
- parts of the building each AP or the PAP is accountable for
You must tell BSR within 28 days of becoming aware of any changes to the building’s structure or fire safety information.
|
|
|
|
