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Building Safety Hub

Supporting building and fire safety excellence in tall residential buildings in England

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  • New guidance on managing competence in organisations across the built environment NEW

     The Industry Task and Finish Group (ITFG) has today (11th May 2026) published its guidance on Managing Competence in the Built Environment: An industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles, providing practical, proportionate and risk-based support for organisations operating across the built environment.

    The ITFG is an industry led, time limited group formed in June 2025 in response to the new Building Safety Regime’s requirement to manage competence in organisations. It brings together more than 50 professional bodies, industry organisations, regulators and assurance bodies, with the shared aim of translating high level principles for managing competence in the built environment into a practical day to day application that is recognised across the sector and helps drive up competence and building safety outcomes.

    The guidance sets out what effective organisational competence management looks like in practice for organisations of all sizes and risk profiles, SMEs, micro-businesses and large organisations alike, enabling them to demonstrate that people working for them, or on their behalf, are competent for the work they undertake.

    Its flexible and proportionate approach means that the guidance can be used alongside existing management systems, or as a foundation where no formal approach is yet in place. Although prompted to meet competence management requirements set by building safety reforms in England and soon Wales, it can be used more widely as best practice guidance across the built environment all over the United Kingdom.

    The guidance looks at the role of organisational leadership and governance, while emphasising that actively managing competence is not simply about qualifications or training records; it is about ensuring that organisations have enough people with the right skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours for their role.

    Download the full Guidance document here

     

  • BSR annouces plan to tackle external remediation decisions

    The BSR has introduced a comprehensive external remediation improvement plan aimed at increasing the speed of essential high-rise building safety works across England. 

    The improvement plan introduces key measures including: 

    • a remediation multi-disciplinary team with dedicated account managers to streamline communication  
    • increasing regulatory lead capacity through a recruitment drive to accelerate application processing  
    • implementing "approval with requirements" to enable site mobilisation while technical issues are resolved  
    • publishing remediation-specific guidance and resources to help industry navigate the building control process  

    Find out more about the plan to tackle external remediation decisions HERE

    Read guidance on before applying: existing higher-risk buildings. 

    View updated guidance on categories of building work: existing higher-risk buildings. 

  • Homes England launch Interim Measures Alarm Fund (IMAF)

    The Interim Measures Alarm Fund (IMAF), managed and delivered by Homes England, provides government funding to install interim fire alarm systems in residential buildings.
    The Interim Measures Alarm Fund (IMAF) is designed to reduce the prolonged use of interim fire safety measures and encourage progress towards more permanent fire safety remediation. Read more and aply here.

    The fund aims to:

    • improve resident safety while remediation or long‑term mitigation work is undertaken, enabling residents to remain safely in their homes
    • reduce the risk of unnecessary decants, ensuring buildings remain occupied where safe and appropriate to do so
    • promote compliance with National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) guidance on simultaneous evacuation by supporting the replacement of waking watch with common fire alarm systems where feasible
    • protect leaseholders not covered by statutory protections from the cost of interim measures by funding the installation of common fire alarms

    The fund helps:

    • support leaseholders, by removing potential exposure to the high ongoing costs of waking watch arrangements, which previously required residents to cover substantial monthly charges
    • implement the installation of common fire alarm systems that meet BS 58391 Category L5 standards, providing a more effective and sustainable fire safety system than human fire wardens

  • Building Safety Regulator strategic plan 2026 to 2027

    Today, the BSR has published the Building Safety Regulator Strategic Plan, outlining its five priority areas that will guide its work from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027:

    • Improving operations and processes
    • Supporting remediation of buildings with unsafe cladding
    • Ensuring safe construction and smooth Gateway 3 approvals
    • Keeping safety risks and building standards under review
    • Improving professional standards across the built environment

    BSR has consulted its statutory committees including the Statutory Residents’ Panel and partner regulators, reinforcing BSR’s commitment to ensuring residents’ voices and lived experiences shape regulatory decisions.

    The plan covers one year to allow the BSR to carefully consider any changes that come with becoming a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). It also sets the foundation for the next three-year strategy (2027-2030), which will build on lessons learned, emerging risks, technological change and the evolving built-environment landscape. 

    Read the plan here

  • Leaseholder Managed Buildings - Survey on experience of managing safety

    Are you a director or an active member of a Right to Manage Company, Resident Management Company or a collectively enfranchised building? Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) need to hear from you. 

    MHCLG know that being responsible for your building’s safety can be challenging. They are carrying out research to better understand your experiences of this role, the key challenges you face, and the support needed to help you to maintain the safety of your building.

    This is an opportunity to share your experiences and help ensure that any support is designed with your needs in mind. You can choose to take part anonymously or leave your personal contact details. If you leave your details, MHCLG may contact you for further discussion about your experience of managing your building.  

    A small number of survey respondents may be invited to take part in one-to-one interviews with researchers at MHCLG. 

    Please take part in this short survey before midnight on Monday 16th March. It will take no longer than 10-15 minutes to complete: Leaseholder Managed Building Experience Survey – Fill in form

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