From 1 October 2023, BSR became the Building Control Authority for higher-risk buildings and you must now submit your building control approval applications to BSR.
BSR will have the authority to determine the requirements for those who procure, design, plan, manage and undertake building work. We have also introduced new enforcement powers for building control authorities.
BSR will carry out its function as the BCA through multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) that include a registered building inspector and any other specialists required to assess a submission.
Read the guidance (.pdf).
Read more about the BSR becoming the BCA
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All existing high-rise residential buildings in England should have officially been registered by 1 October 2023. You are still able to use the registration service to register new in-scope buildings in line with current guidance.
Principal Accountable Persons (PAP) were given six months from April to register all high-rise residential buildings in England, that are 18 metres or higher or seven storeys or more with at least two residential units with the BSR.
Those responsible for registering buildings who have missed the deadline could now face significant sanctions, including prosecution.
If you have yet to complete the registration process, register here.
The Building Safety (Regulators Charges) Regulations 2023 and the first BSR charging scheme came into force on 1 October 2023, enabling cost recovery, a key element of BSR’s funding.
The Building Safety Act 2022 and Building Act 1984 give the powers for BSR to make and recover charges in connection with the performance of a relevant function. The charges and how they are to be calculated are as set out in this document.
Read more on the charging scheme
The Building Safety Regulator and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have signed a MoU to co-operate in areas relating to their regulatory responsibilities.
BSR and OPSS will have access to wide-ranging powers to regulate the safety of high-rise buildings (HRBs) and the construction products used within them respectively.
Philip White, Director of Building Safety said: “BSR is working to ensure the safety of HRBs and the wider built environment so that residential premises remain safe. Part of that focus is working with OPSS to ensure construction products used in homes and buildings are safe for the purposes they are used for.”
Duncan Johnson, Deputy Director for Construction Products, OPSS said: “Across the safety regime, OPSS will work closely with the Building Safety Regulator in areas such as testing, research and information sharing so that our efforts are joined up, targeted and more impactful as a result.”
Read the full MoU.
BSR has approved the Building Control Competency Assessment (BCCA) scheme, provided by Total Training Development Ltd
Competence assessments are the first step in becoming a registered building inspector. Under the Building Safety Act, 2022 all building control professionals will need to be registered by April 2024 to continue working in the profession.
For further information regarding the BCCA, you can email admin@bcca-education.org.
Are you/your organisation responding to the new building control process for high-rise buildings and developing new ways of working? If so, we want to hear from you.
A new building control process for HRBs, operational from October 2023, has been introduced by BSR.
BSR would like to hear from you and has commissioned an independent research agency, Kantar Public, to help better understand how the sector is responding, and the practices put in place to comply with the new requirements. This will help inform the design of guidance and provide support through this period of adjustment.
All meetings will be conducted by independent, researchers at Kantar Public, anything you say will remain confidential and will not affect relationships with HSE/BSR. The meeting will be approximately 90 minutes and we may also ask to conduct some interviews with other members of your organisation.
A monetary incentive will be provided for those who are invited to participate in an interview.
Please complete this short questionnaire. Responses are needed by 13 October 2023 to register your interest in this research.
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