Executive Insight: The Role of the Building Safety Regulator in Practice

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is now firmly established as the central authority shaping how higher-risk residential buildings are designed, delivered and managed in England. While early industry commentary focused on Gateways and process, it is now clear that the Regulator’s role is far broader and far more influential than a traditional building control function.

From our direct experience engaging with the regime, the BSR is not simply checking compliance. It is actively testing accountability, competence and governance across the entire building lifecycle.

From Approval Body to System Regulator

The BSR is operating as a system regulator rather than a transactional approver. Gateway submissions are not treated as isolated milestones, but as windows into how organisations make decisions, manage risk and discharge their statutory duties.

In practice, this means the Regulator is looking beyond drawings and reports to understand:

• who is accountable for safety decisions
• how those decisions are evidenced and recorded
• whether governance arrangements align with statutory roles
• how safety is managed post-completion, not just at handover

Projects that approach engagement as a documentation exercise are finding this increasingly challenging.

Gateway Scrutiny Is Deepening

Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 submissions are being used by the BSR as assurance mechanisms, not just approval checkpoints. We are seeing increasing focus on:

• the coherence and consistency of information
• alignment between design intent, risk assessment and delivery strategy
• evidence that dutyholders understand and can discharge their roles
• the credibility of competence and assurance arrangements

The Regulator is prepared to pause, challenge or reject submissions where accountability is unclear or information lacks integrity.

Information and the Golden Thread as Regulatory Currency

The Golden Thread is now one of the BSR’s primary lenses. The Regulator is less interested in whether information exists, and more concerned with whether it is:

• accurate
• structured
• current
• accessible
• owned

Projects that rely on late-stage collation or fragmented information systems are struggling to demonstrate control. Conversely, those treating information management as a live, governed process are engaging with the Regulator more effectively and with fewer delays.

Competence and Capability Under the Spotlight

The BSR is increasingly focused on organisational competence, not just individual qualifications. This includes scrutiny of:

• how dutyholders are supported
• whether advisors and managers are appropriately appointed
• how competence is assured across supply chains
• whether governance arrangements reflect the seriousness of the statutory duties

This has significant implications for procurement, appointments and ongoing management arrangements.

Occupation Is Now Central to Regulatory Oversight

A defining feature of the BSR’s approach is its emphasis on the in-occupation phase. Safety is not viewed as something achieved at completion, but as something that must be actively managed over time.

We are seeing increased regulatory interest in:

• how buildings are managed once occupied
• how risks are monitored and reviewed
• how remediation is governed and delivered
• how residents are engaged and informed

This marks a clear departure from historic regulatory models and reinforces the importance of long-term management capability.

What This Means for Industry

The BSR is setting a clear direction of travel. The organisations that will succeed under this regime are those that:

• embed accountability into their operating model
• align governance with statutory responsibility
• invest in robust information management
• plan for compliance in occupation, not just delivery

Those treating the Regulator as a hurdle to clear will face increasing friction.

Our View

The Building Safety Regulator is raising standards deliberately and permanently. Its role is reshaping industry behaviour, expectations and accountability in ways that will not reverse.

From our position working across consultancy, delivery and building management, it is clear that early engagement, clear governance and long-term responsibility are now prerequisites for successful regulatory outcomes.

The message from the Regulator is consistent: safety must be demonstrable, accountability must be clear, and responsibility does not end at completion.