Building Safety Hub

Welcome to our Building Safety Hub, bringing together sector insights, expert commentary and a future-focused analysis on building and fire safety developments that concern the built environment – from policy through to legislation, guidance and market updates.

Unprecedented in scope, scale and speed of implementation, the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) and the regulations made under it constitute the most significant overhaul of building safety in 40 years. In recent years, almost all of the focus has been on the BSA - but we recognise that fire safety legislation forms an intrinsic part of the picture, and the two frameworks overlap.

More than four years on, those caught by the regulations must continue to upskill. The primary and secondary legislation runs to more than 1,000 pages (excluding explanatory notes) and more than 35 statutory instruments have been passed under the BSA to date. While parts of the legislation apply across the UK, the focus is on England and, in particular, the new category of higher-risk buildings (HRBs): residential buildings that are 18 metres or more in height, or seven or more storeys tall.

The BSA aims to foster a safer and more accountable culture across the built environment, from planning through procurement and construction to the occupation of buildings.

We are recognised building safety experts. Our cross-team built environment practice includes specialists in the areas of procurement, planning, construction, natural capital, health and fire safety, real estate, real estate finance and disputes management and resolution. Since the Hackitt review, we have worked with government (as a member of the competency working groups), Chartered Institute of Housing, National Housing Federation, trade bodies and clients to better understand the impact of the legislation in all areas of the real estate sector. We have contributed to the government guidance on collaborative procurement to support Building Safety; sitting on the Industry Action Coalition on Building Safety (convened by Dame Judith Hackitt), on MHCLG's Procurement Advisory Group for Building Safety, and members of our team were involved in the Government's pre-legislative working groups during the passage of the BSA through Parliament.

Our breadth of expertise and deep engagement with the evolution of the building safety legislation makes us uniquely qualified to help you successfully navigate this complex and demanding regime.