A significant pause has been mandated for over 50 high-risk construction projects across the UK.
- The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has intervened following the liquidation of AIS Surveyors, a former building control approver.
- Developers are urged to register their projects with the BSR, as the regulator has no project records.
- The disruption stems from Assent BC’s failure to register as a recognised building control approver.
- Delays could potentially impact livelihoods as stalled projects affect clients and contractors.
The Building Safety Regulator has ordered work on more than 50 high-risk projects to halt, pending approval of their applications. This decision follows the unexpected compulsory liquidation of AIS Surveyors, a private building control approver. As AIS Surveyors was responsible for regulating a variety of building types, its sudden closure has left many developments in regulatory limbo. Furthermore, the regulator is unable to resume construction activities until developers register their projects, given the absence of project data.
Additionally, the situation is exacerbated by Assent Building Control’s failure to register as an approved body under the new regulations necessitated by the Building Safety Act. This has led to a scenario where projects previously managed by these entities must now seek approval directly from the BSR to continue. The projects affected are those that were in the process of being signed off by the private building control companies prior to the October 2023 regulation change, which mandates that all high-risk projects obtain BSR approval.
The regulator, seeking to prioritise these affected projects, has stated that applications related to ongoing high-risk projects will be given precedence, save for essential remediation efforts. The effect on the construction sector is palpable, with some industry experts expressing disbelief at how AIS Surveyors’ financial instability was overlooked until its collapse.
Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy at the British Property Federation, voiced concerns about the wider ramifications of these project delays on employment within the sector. He stressed the critical need for rapid application processing to mitigate job losses, highlighting the situation as a surprise workload surge for the regulator, which has only recently taken on its expanded responsibilities.
Assent BC has clarified that while it does not intend to register under the current requirements, other entities within its group remain operational and capable of providing building control services. The Assent Group has assured continued cooperation with the BSR to address the concerns of ongoing projects under its oversight. Their commitment to maintaining service standards was reaffirmed, with assurances that a majority of their workforce are registered building inspectors under the new classifications.
The halt of projects underscores the necessity for stringent compliance with regulatory standards to ensure building safety.
