Management needs to ‘promptly’ resolve issues, says Infrastructure and Projects Authority

The government’s major projects body has warned of unspecified “significant issues” with the fledgeling Building Safety Regulator.

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority in its annual report has awarded the BSR – which has been set up in the Health and Safety Executive – a rating of amber.

An amber rating means “successful delivery appears feasible but significant issues already exist, requiring management attention.

building safety high rise

The regulator post was set up in the wake of the Grenfell tower fire

“These appear resolvable at this stage and, if addressed promptly, should not present a cost/schedule overrun.”

The IPA report does not detail the specific reasons for the authority’s concern. Around three-quarters of the 244 projects assessed by the IPA are rated ‘amber’, which is the second lowest of five ratings.

>>See also: We are entering a new era for building safety, but are we ready for the new regulator?

Since 6 April, building owners have been able to register details of their high-rises with the BSR and they have until 1 October to register an estimated 12,500 high-rise buildings.

The BSR is taking on more functions over the next few months, including regulating the building control profession from October and issuing building assessment certificates from next April.

However, parliament passed a government-tabled amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill last month giving it the power to replace the HSE as the regulator.

In April, Peter Baker shocked many in the industry by standing down as head of the regulator just weeks after the registration process for high-rise buildings opened.