The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has revealed a new improvement plan to tackle the delays in high-risk remediation works
Several measures have been detailed in the BSR remediation plan, all aimed at speeding up essential works to high-risk buildings.
Among these measures is the establishment of a new taskforce, the external remediation multidisciplinary team (MDT), to streamline remediation by improving communication and processing through account managers.
An employment drive is also planned
The current average individual caseload is 25 cases. An increase in staff is planned to reduce this average to 10 cases, speeding up decisions as the caseload becomes more manageable.
Moreover, there are plans to introduce flexible approvals via ‘approval with requirements’ to enable projects to start more safely under the right circumstances, and new guidance for external remediation, with supporting information and resources, is coming over the next few months.
Lord Roe, BSR board chair, said: “We continue to accelerate our decision-making for new build applications, speeding up approvals for new build and external remediation projects and increasing the supply of safe new and existing homes through the recent changes we have made to our processes.
“However, we recognise current determination times for remediation cases are falling short of statutory targets. This plan represents a targeted and achievable package of measures to reset the system and clear older legacy remediation cases.
“By doing so and then focusing on more recent applications, we can ensure high-rise residents see essential safety improvements they deserve without unnecessary or further delays.”
Updates to appeals will also streamline the process
Earlier this month, a new system was introduced for appeals of planning application decisions, establishing a new route for written representation appeals.
The key difference is that only evidence submitted during the application process will be accepted, meaning the applicant must ensure all evidence is included in the initial application.
In the wake of this change, Darren Muir, senior director – planning at the Pegasus Group, wrote for PBC Today to discuss its impact and how it should be considered when making applications.
Darren wrote: “There’s a growing narrative in planning reform that if everyone simply “gets it right first time”, the system will run faster, smoother, and with fewer disputes. It’s a neat idea. It’s also wrong.
“This notion assumes that planning decisions are a matter of identifying a single correct answer and presenting it clearly enough, but we all know that isn’t how it works. Planning is not a multiple-choice test. It is a discipline built on interpretation, balance, and professional judgement.”
Read the whole piece here.
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