The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is to be reformed and moved under the control of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in a move that the government hopes will unblock delays to building new high-rise homes.

Announced this week, the reforms include a new ‘Fast Track Process’, changes to the leadership and fresh investment. They also pave the way for the creation of a single construction regulator, as recommended by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Andy Roe KFSM, a former British Army officer and firefighter, has been appointed as non-executive chair of a new MHCLG board that will take on the functions of the BSR – previously under the Health and Safety Executive – as part of initial steps towards creating a single construction regulator.

The government says Roe brings “a wealth of experience in safety regulation and leadership” from his previous role as Commissioner of London Fire Brigade and he will be supported by a new Chief Executive Officer for the BSR, Charlie Pugsley.

Alex Norris, Minister for Building Safety, said: “The establishment of the Building Safety Regulator has been fundamental to centralising safety in the construction process and it’s time to take the next steps to build on that precedent and create a system that works for the sector whilst keeping residents and their safety at the heart of the process.

“That’s why we’re announcing a package of reforms to the BSR today to enhance operations, reduce delays, and unlock the homes this country desperately needs.”

As part of the reforms, the BSR will introduce a new Fast Track Process which will bring building inspector and engineer capacity directly into the BSR to enhance the processing and review of existing new-build cases and remediation decisions. The government says this will respond to concerns in the sector around delays whilst “crucially keeping building and residents’ safety at the core of the process”.

Alongside these changes, long-term investment in the capacity of the BSR is being bolstered with the addition of over 100 new members of staff to support operations and reduce delays.

Andy Roe, non-exec Chair of the BSR, said: “The creation of the new Building Safety Regulator was a watershed moment for housing and construction in this country.

“However, it is also clear that the BSR processes’ need to continue to evolve and improve, to ensure that it plays its part in enabling the homes this country desperately needs to be built.

“I look forward to working with colleagues both in industry and the BSR to tackle the current issues and delays head on and help get those homes built safely.”

HSE Chair, Sarah Newton said: “Setting up an entirely new regulator has been complex and huge progress has been made in a short space of time.

“Protecting residents and making sure there is never another tragedy like Grenfell has been our priority throughout this process. We wish the new BSR team well in this most important mission.

“We are very proud of the work we have done to establish the BSR. It was always an option that once the new regulator was established that it would move out of HSE to enable the Government to implement the Grenfell Public Inquiry recommendations and we will work hard to enable the smooth transition to the next stage.”