The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is set to modify its approach to building assessment certificates, providing a more proportionate and targeted approach for higher-risk buildings. This move comes in response to feedback from principal accountable persons (PAPs), financial institutions, and other stakeholders, and aims to address the implementation of requirements for occupied higher-risk buildings (HRBs) introduced in the Building Safety Act 2022.
Since the BAC process started in April 2024, the BSR has directed PAPs to apply for certificates for nearly 2,000 buildings. However, the regime has faced challenges, with assessment processing times twice as long as initially expected and 66% of applications being refused. The BSR has found that refusals often occur because applications focus on process compliance rather than effective management of safety.
To address these challenges, the BSR will shift its approach to ensure it is more proportionate, intelligence-led, and risk-based. During this transition, the BSR will concentrate on working through existing applications until future processes are finalised. This will include modifying the risk-based approach, initially concentrating on organisations responsible for multiple HRBs, and carrying out sample interventions based on risk or intelligence about buildings, organisations or duty holders.
The new approach aims to ensure building safety legal duties remain in place for over 6,000 responsible individuals while the plan is developed. The BSR will also provide greater, more targeted support to resident-led PAPs, and help protect residents and leaseholders from unnecessary or unexpected costs.