The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's (MHCLG's) latest building safety newsletter highlights significant developments aimed at accelerating building remediation and strengthening the UK's building safety regime.
Alongside new legislative proposals, the government is seeking to:
- standardise approaches to external wall risk assessment
- expand the resources available to building control and fire engineering professionals and
- improve mechanisms for recovering remediation costs from those responsible for defective buildings and products.
For surveyors, the changes signal continued regulatory and operational pressure to remediate higher-risk buildings (HRBs) while maintaining robust standards of assessment, oversight and competence.
The measures are likely to interest building surveyors, building control surveyors, property managers, fire safety specialists and others involved in building safety case work, external wall assessments and remediation projects.
New remediation and assessment measures
The government has introduced the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill, which would place a legal duty on those responsible for buildings to identify, assess and remediate unsafe external wall systems.
The proposed legislation would also introduce a national approach to external wall assessments, establish a register of medium-rise buildings – from 11 to 18 metres in height – requiring remediation and improve routes for recovering remediation costs from manufacturers.
The PAS 9980 standard for fire risk appraisals of external walls (FRAEWs) has been updated to improve clarity and consistency, although existing assessments undertaken using the 2022 edition remain valid.
MHCLG has also published five guidance documents to help residents, building owners and responsible persons understand FRAEWs and interpret assessment findings.
Further changes have now taken effect through the Building Safety Levy, which came into force on 1 October and applies to eligible residential developments.
Revenue generated by the levy will contribute towards remediation costs, forming part of the government's approach to ensuring industry contributes to addressing historic building safety defects.
According to the latest published remediation data, 1,849 buildings (39%) had completed remediation works by the end of August 2026, while more than half (54%) of monitored buildings had either started or completed remediation. However, 2,153 buildings (46%) had not started remediation.
Building control reform and skills investment
MHCLG also highlights reforms designed to streamline building control requirements for certain telecommunications works in HRBs. Further HRB guidance is available for fibre-optic cabling work and mobile communications mast work.
In March, the government announced £70m in funding for building control and fire engineering professions to address workforce shortages and improve competence.
UK higher education institutions can apply for funding for fire engineering programmes, doctoral training and postgraduate scholarships to attract talented engineers into the profession.
Applicants have until 3 November to apply through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council or the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Changes reinforce competence and compliance
The proposed remediation legislation, revised PAS 9980 guidance, levy implementation and continued investment in building control and fire engineering skills are likely to have significant implications for building surveyors, fire engineers, building control professionals and others involved in assessing, remediating and managing HRBs.
The reforms also signal continued government focus on accelerating remediation and strengthening competence across the sector.
RICS welcomes the government's drive to improve the pace at which buildings are remediated in England. We continue to provide professional and technical advice to officials and ministers to ensure that the building safety reforms are completed comprehensively and swiftly, particularly as we approach the tenth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy next year. RICS' Building Safety Act Information Centre brings together practical guidance, technical insight and expert analysis on key issues including HRBs, remediation, building control, competence requirements and the evolving responsibilities of property professionals, helping surveyors navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
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