The Wales Centre for Public Policy has published international evidence on building safety regulation to help inform draft Welsh Government legislation.
Currently in Wales, building safety is regulated by local authorities and the fire and rescue services but the Welsh Government commissioned WCPP to contribute evidence on regulatory models as part of its planned reforms to ensure ‘people feel safe and secure in their homes’, as stated in its Programme for Government.
In 2021, the Welsh Government issued a White Paper on reforming the legislation which drew on findings from the Hackitt Review, the UK Government-commissioned independent inquiry into building regulations and fire safety following the Grenfell disaster, and the Welsh Government’s ‘Road Map to Safer Buildings in Wales’.
This WCPP report summarises a roundtable discussion with experts and Welsh Government officials convened by the Centre in December 2022, supplemented by evidence from literature.
Key findings and conclusions
The following were identified by experts as being important for achieving the aims of the reform and improving the functioning of the system:
- A single point of contact: a ‘one-stop-shop’ for owners and occupiers, industry partners, building owners and developers, and the wider public;
- Robust data on buildings and analysis to identify issues;
- A register which lists buildings, responsible people and organisations;
- Clear lines of accountability and oversight;
- Educating and informing stakeholders and residents to support behaviour change as enforcement and sanctions are only one aspect of non-compliance;
- After analysing different models, it was concluded that the organisational form is secondary to ensuring that the regulator has adequate resources for effective analysis, monitoring and sanctioning as well as for collecting data on buildings and responsible people and organisations
- Furthermore, the establishment of an overarching committee acting as a single point of contact would improve visibility and engagement with all stakeholders; and
- The functions of the new regulator will require skills and capacity beyond those already present in the current system
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