The housing secretary has asked the Building Safety Regulator to undertake a “fundamental review” of guidance on building regulations.

Source: MHCLG/ Flickr

Deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner holds a meeting with stakeholders following a residential fire in Dagenham over the summer

In her opening speech during the House of Commons debate on the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report, Angela Rayner announced the investigation into the Approved Documents.

The Approved Documents provide detailed guidance for built environment professionals on how to meet the requirements of building regulations but there have been criticisms that it is too complicated and difficult to use. 

Both the 2018 Hackitt review and this year’s Grenfell Inquiry report highlighted these problems, with the former calling the Approved Documents “complex, ambiguous and not user-friendly”.

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The review, which will be led by the regulator with the support of external experts, will explore how to make the guidance easier to understand and use, more regularly updated to keep up with new developments and more accessible for smaller firms. 

The Building Safety Regulator will establish a review panel and appoint a chair to lead its activities in early 2025.