Features Building safety: more change to come A government progress report on implementation of recommendations of the Grenfell Phase 2 Inquiry points to upheaval ahead.
Features Member profile: ‘I give people the right advice for their situation’ James Hymers aims to offer clients what they really need, not – he says – what some consultants would like to sell them. His other big mission is to help bring more talent into the safety sector, as he explains to Denise Chevin.
Opinion Has the industry misread the principal designer? Clients can’t expect two for the price of one says Gareth Bland, senior building safety consultant, Safer Sphere.
News Clarity needed on ‘as-built information’, says APS Concerns have been raised about ambiguities in the information required at building handover for higher-risk buildings (HRBs).
News APS takes the lead on competence management APS is leading on cross-industry efforts to develop new guidance for organisational capability with respect to competence management to help companies in the built environment to meet their obligations under the Building Safety Act.
Features Safety risks and balconies: what you need to know At first glance, balconies might seem like simple architectural features – pleasant spots to enjoy a view or catch some sun. But beneath their outward simplicity lies a structural and safety complexity that is often dangerously underestimated, as Dr Allan Mann from CROSS’s Structural Safety Expert Panel explains.
Features ‘I’m proud that I’ve brought people into the industry’ New APS board member Helena Knight, who runs the GHPC Group, discusses her career journey and her thoughts on the challenges posed by the Building Safety Act and its impact on the industry.
Features Court rules on landmark Building Safety Act case The Supreme Court has delivered its judgment in the case of URS Corporation Ltd v BDW Trading Ltd, providing clarity on UK building safety legislation and principles around the duty of care and recoverable losses in the tort of negligence. Robert Adjetey and James Walsh of law firm Osborne Clarke set out the implications.
News MHCLG takes over Building Safety Regulator A new board of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is taking on the functions of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as part of a major revamp.
News First building liability order under BSA handed down A High Court judge has issued what is believed to be the first-ever building liability order (BLO) under the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) in a significant development for building safety disputes.
Features Regulations: what lies ahead in 2025? Policy and regulatory changes will drive progress on building safety in England.
Features Dame Judith Hackitt: ‘We know that the culture can change’ Despite the safety reforms brought in by the 2022 Building Safety Act, substandard submissions are still holding up approvals by the Building Safety Regulator. Dame Judith Hackitt tells Denise Chevin what needs to be done to transform the construction culture that allows this.
Features Building Safety Act amendments you need to know about This month, three new amendments were quietly added to the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA). Designed to fill holes and increase the legislative protections available to leaseholders in respect of…
Opinion A year of building safety changes: reflections and the path forward Samantha Mepham says there are several key areas that need to become the norm for the long-term safety of the built environment.
Opinion Why insurers are concerned about the new principal designer role Professional indemnity insurance (PII) has been in a state of crisis since 2020. This has been driven by increased loss ratios (where claims exceed those expected when premiums were set),…
Opinion Behaviours are key to competency A core intent of the Building Safety Act and the consequent new building safety regime is to ensure that all work across the built environment is done by appropriately competent…
Features What is mandatory occurrence reporting? A new requirement under the Building Safety Act for higher-risk buildings is for mandatory occurrence reporting. Michelle Essen and Kate Hanson, from international law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, explain what it involves.
News One in four professionals unprepared for Building Safety Act More than one in four (27%) built environment stakeholders are still underprepared for the changes that the new building safety legislation has brought to the industry. That’s the finding of…