Blog archive

Today (23 January 2023) the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 come into force.

The construction market is familiar with the need for cladding remediation works, however the Building Safety Act relates to more than just cladding. 

The Building Safety Act introduces leaseholder protections for leaseholders with a qualifying lease (sections 118-120 and Schedule 8).  These protections came into force on 28 June 2022 and were a very late addition to the Building Safety Act.

The Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 has been the catalyst for one of, probably the most, important piece of legislation in my time as a construction lawyer – the Building Safety Act 2022 (‘the Act’). 

The recent COP27 summit has served as a stark reminder of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and work towards net zero. With the built environment and the construction industry contributing significantly towards greenhouse gas emissions, it is critical that carbon emissions are considered from the outset of any project, particularly at contract stage when setting and agreeing requirements.

The government has announced additional funding and published guidance to help schools and colleges to increase energy efficiency.

For those responsible persons operating in England regulations coming into force on 23 January 2023 place additional responsibilities on them

In July 2021 we blogged about the launch of a consultation the building safety levy. Well now the government has launched another consultation in relation to the levy

In 2018, the use of combustible materials was banned for external walls in residential buildings over 18m (including hospitals, care homes and student accommodation). This ban has now been extended by the Building (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022, which comes into force on 1 December 2022

The Technology and Construction Court (TCC) has issued a third edition of its guide.  There are a number of key points to note:

The government has opened a consultation on the new in-occupation regime.  The consultation is open until 12 October 2022 and seeks views on a number of areas

The consultation closes on 12 October 2022