Dame Judith Hackitt – the architect of the landmark ‘Building a Safer Future’ report – has commended a UK construction company for its leadership and commitment to culture change following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

During a recent visit to the offices of the Casey Group and its Building Safety and Skills Academy in Rochdale, Dame Judith met with senior leaders, project teams, and operatives to hear first-hand how the firm is embracing the new responsibilities introduced by the Building Safety Act (BSA).

The visit also included a tour of Avro Hollows in Manchester, where Casey is remediating four 23-storey tower blocks in line with the new safety standards.

Reflecting on the visit, Dame Judith Hackitt said: “What I’ve seen today is a clear demonstration that Casey is embedding the right behaviours and culture to meet the letter and spirit of the new building safety regulations. They are proving that it is possible to do the right thing and still deliver efficiently and effectively. This is exactly the kind of leadership the industry needs.”

Dame Judith made reference to her visit in a recent appearance at the House of Lords Industry and Regulators committee where she gave evidence around challenges linked to building safety.

Casey Group says her praise highlights a growing sense of optimism across the sector, as more organisations actively work in partnership with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to raise standards and ensure resident safety is prioritised, and the government looks into potential reforms to the building safety processes.

The visit also coincides with Casey achieving six successful Gateway 2 approvals – a key milestone under the Building Safety Act, ensuring projects are reviewed and approved before construction begins.

Casey Group’s Health, Safety and Environment Director, Paul Turner, said: “The discussion with Dame Judith’s focused on how clear and strong leadership, along with a positive building safety culture, are making things safer for residents and building users. This comes as no surprise as resident safety and wellbeing has long been at the forefront of our product and service delivery.

“Resident safety isn’t a checkbox; it’s the foundation of everything we do. Dame Judith’s visit was a great opportunity to show how we’re applying the new rules on the ground, the real-world pressures we face, and how we’re working through them together with the Regulator.”

The visit comes at a pivotal time, with a new inquiry led by Baroness Taylor of Bolton exploring how the new rules can be more effectively applied.

As the UK Government pushes forward with an ambition to deliver 370,000 homes annually, the alignment of safety, efficiency, and delivery remains a key focus.