Building Control Panel Picks

Summary

The UK government appointed five experts to the Building Control Independent Panel, focusing on improving building safety regulations. Chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt, the panel will review current building control practices and propose changes. The panel’s report, due this autumn, follows the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.

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** Main Story**

So, the UK government’s taken a pretty significant step, recently announcing the formation of the Building Control Independent Panel. It’s all about beefing up building safety regulations in England, and frankly, it’s about time. This move? It’s a direct response to a key recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which just underscores the government’s, hopefully genuine, commitment to making our buildings safer.

This panel isn’t just window dressing, either. Composed of five experts, they’re tasked with diving deep into our existing building control practices and recommending some real, impactful changes. And, get this, they’re expected to deliver a report this autumn. Let’s hope they don’t pull any punches.

Panel’s Mission: For a Safer Tomorrow

The panel’s core mission is simple: to evaluate the current building control system, warts and all. The goal? To suggest improvements that will genuinely enhance safety and accountability in the construction industry. That includes taking a hard look at the Grenfell Inquiry’s recommendations. Specifically, the issues of commercial incentives and whether or not there are alternative models that could deliver more robust and transparent outcomes.

And let’s be honest, can we really expect people to regulate themselves when their paychecks depend on pushing things through quickly? One critical area of focus is the potential removal of those very commercial interests from building control. A national authority decision model? It’s also on the table, potentially centralizing building control functions. That said, centralizing everything doesn’t always guarantee better outcomes, does it?

As a result, all this ties into the government’s broader aim: delivering 1.5 million safe, high-quality homes during this Parliament. Now, that’s a big ambition, but it hinges on getting this building control stuff right from the get go.

Dame Judith Hackitt: Expertise Leading the Way

Leading this critical review? Dame Judith Hackitt. She’s an engineer who knows her stuff, especially when it comes to building standards. Right now, she’s advising both the UK and Australian governments on building safety. She also serves on the International Building Quality Council.

She previously led the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy. So, you see, she knows the terrain and, frankly, she seems uniquely positioned to guide the panel’s work. I’ve followed her work for some time and I believe she brings a serious, determined air to the role.

A Team of Experts: Shaping the Future

Now, Dame Judith isn’t doing this alone. She’s joined by four other experts, each bringing their own experience to the table: Elaine Bailey, Ken Rivers, Rt Hon Nick Raynsford, and Dr. David Snowball. Elaine Bailey, the former chief executive of Hyde Housing, she gets the social housing sector, the sector that really needs scrutiny and it’s particular building control needs. Ken Rivers, he’s a non-executive director at the Health and Safety Executive, and that’s a big deal, because he’ll bring his deep knowledge of regulatory oversight within those high-risk industries.

Nick Raynsford, a former MP with ministerial experience in housing, planning, construction, and local government, is someone with valuable insights into policy and how to actually implement it. And Dr. David Snowball? Former acting chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive, he gets the building safety regulations and how they’re applied, or often misapplied in practice.

Building Safety: The Future

So, the formation of the Building Control Independent Panel, it’s a big deal, a significant step towards creating a more robust and accountable building control system in England. As of May 11, 2025, the panel is hard at work, buried in this comprehensive review, and planning to submit its report to the government soon. Hopefully, it won’t gather dust on a shelf somewhere, like some reports are prone to do.

The panel’s recommendations, when coupled with the government’s ongoing response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, should foster a genuine culture of safety within the construction industry, ensuring that the buildings are structurally sound. It’s all about prioritising the safety and well-being of the occupants.

The Building Safety Act 2022, it’s already in effect, and it introduces some new rules for higher-risk buildings, like requiring developers to obtain approval from the Building Safety Regulator before even starting construction. It mandates appointing an “accountable person” responsible for managing building safety risks.

The government’s focus, along with the independent panel’s expertise, it all points toward a safer future for the built environment in the UK. And, quite frankly, we need it. Because, the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.