Those responsible for the safety of high-rise residential buildings in England have six months from April 2023 to register with the new Building Safety Regulator.
Under the Building Safety Act, which introduced the Building Safety Regulator, high-rise residential buildings which are 18m tall or higher, or at least seven storeys, with two or more residential units are defined as ‘higher-risk’.
The new Regulator will require all of the approximately 12,500 higher-risk buildings to be registered from April 2023, with a named person responsible for maintaining their safety.
A new government campaign aimed at owners and managers of high-rise residential buildings will highlight their new legal duties. It will call on those responsible for the safety management of higher-risk buildings to prepare for a new wave of regulatory change to ensure that they are ready to step up and comply.
Registering buildings in scope will be a legal requirement and owners and managers who fail to comply by October 2023 will be investigated and may face prosecution.
Sarah Albon, chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive, said: “This registration process is an important step towards building a safer future for residents of high-rise buildings. We want it to be clear where responsibility for safety in these buildings lies.
“As the Building Safety Regulator, we will draw from our experience to provide guidance and oversight for the industry and lay the foundation for a world-leading building safety regime, which is a part of our mission to protect people and places.”
Peter Baker, chief inspector of buildings, added: “Our message is clear – the industry must raise its standards and residents of high-rise buildings in England must be kept safe.
“This is a landmark moment for building safety, the information provided through registration will be an invaluable part of our crackdown on unsafe building practices. Those who are responsible for high-rise residential buildings must register; failure to do so will be against the law.”
