The Government has has accepted 49 of the 58 recommendations in full in the Grenfell Inquiry’s Phase 2 report published on 4 September 2024.
Regarding the remaining nine recommendations, the Government accepts them in principle and the response document sets out how they will be implemented.
Significant progress has been made to improve the safety of buildings since the tragedy of the Grenfell fire on 14 June 2017. The Government’s response builds on this work but also seeks to go further where needed.
A green paper on construction products reform has also been published. It sets out a range of proposals for construction products reform, including proposals that address the Inquiry‘s recommendations. The green paper also serves as the Government’s response to the Independent Review of Product Testing and Certification.
Mark Reynolds, Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council and Executive Chair of Mace, said: “The Inquiry’s report stated that the tragedy was a result of years of failings from the state and industry, of deregulation, and of poor practice in the construction sector. In our view, the implementation of the recommendations, as set out by the Deputy Prime Minister, will result in safer homes and buildings for those who live and work in them and improve the quality of both the work done by the construction industry, as well as the competence of those working in it.
“The Inquiry also highlighted widespread failures by manufacturers, the construction products sector and the institutions that should have been responsible for ensuring high standards and assurance of the system. It is incumbent on us all to fully engage with and respond to the proposals for reform set out in the Construction Products Reform Green Paper published alongside the Government’s response.
“There has been significant progress on building safety made since the Grenfell fire in June 2017, delivered through ongoing collaboration between Government and industry – but we are well aware that there is more we can and must do.
“There must be continued collective responsibility to drive a meaningful and permanent cultural change and enhance the levels of competence in the construction sector. We will continue to work closely with the Government, regulators, industry bodies and businesses to enable the implementation of these further reforms without undue disruption to the vital work of our industry across the country.”
Caroline Gumble, CEO at the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), said the Government’s response will provide the construction industry with much-needed clarity and guidance on the actions that must be taken to reduce the risk of such a tragedy happening again.
“The response is clear on the key areas of focus, and the expected timeline for implementing several of the changes<” she said. “We will work with government, the new Construction Regulator and Chief Construction Adviser once in place, as well as our sister professional bodies, trade associations and wider industry stakeholders to ensure those working in our industry are competent and quality-driven to create a built environment safe for all its users.
“We recognise there is a significant amount of work to do and the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022, while a positive step, was only the beginning. We are ready to play our part in improving the culture in the sector and ensuring construction professionals are appropriately competent to conduct their roles, not only in the case of high-risk buildings but throughout the wider built environment, ensuring public trust in what we build and maintain.
“Since the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report was published in September 2024, we have introduced mandatory continued professional development (CPD) on building safety for our members to ensure they remain up to date and relevant with developments in building safety and evolving regulation and legislation, including best practice.
“Additionally, we have launched the Principal Contractor Competency Certification Scheme (PCCCS) to provide Principal Contractors with a route to proving their competency as required by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Our intention is also to develop a similar scheme for Principal Designers, which is set to be available later this year. We are also providing building safety training via our Academy.
“Both the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report and the Government’s response provide an opportunity for the construction sector to reflect on its responsibility to building users and learn lessons from the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Our industry still has a long way to go to change its culture and ensure safety is at the heart of everything we do, and today’s announcement is clear that this must be fully addressed and delivered.”
Last month RIBA published their further building safety reform recommendations following the Phase 2 Report.
RIBA Chair of the Board, Jack Pringle said: “What happened at the Grenfell Tower was a tragedy that should never have happened and must never happen again. Therefore, we welcome the Government’s vision to create a built environment that is as safe as it can be.
“Both the Inquiry Report and the Government have acknowledged the work that we’ve already undertaken to improve the education and training of architects. As recommended, RIBA has committed to reviewing these changes in light of the inquiry’s findings.
“Many actions the Deputy Prime Minister outlined echo those which we have also called for, including the need to review the definition of higher-risk buildings, regular updating of Approved Document B, and appointing a Chief Construction Advisor.
“Now the work continues, we are committed to engaging across the sector and with the Government to create buildings and homes that are safe and high quality for all.”
The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) welcomed the Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Eddie Weir PCIAT, CIAT President, said: “The 2017 Grenfell Tower Fire was a tragedy which cost the lives of 72 people and upturned the lives of hundreds more. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry found failures across almost the entire building safety ecosystem, including building design and management, emergency response, governance and regulation and it is vital that we learn the lessons from this horrific event. We therefore welcome the Government’s detailed response to the Inquiry, and their commitment to ensuring that the recommendations of this and other statutory public inquiries are not left gathering dust on a shelf but drive genuine change.
“The built environment sector has already implemented significant reforms since 2017, with a new building safety regime implemented through the 2022 Building Safety Act and associated secondary legislation. Every project in England and Wales must now have a clearly identified principal designer and principal contractor, to provide oversight and hold ultimate responsibility for ensuring that projects are designed and executed in line with requirements. Additionally, higher-risk buildings, such as tower blocks, now go through additional stages of review by the Building Safety Regulator.
“Nonetheless, we recognise that more can be done to ensure buildings are safe. CIAT supports the ongoing review of Approved Documents (for England), to ensure they are effective and user friendly and a review of the definition of higher-risk buildings, to ensure oversight is proportionate to risk. The Institute welcomes commitments to increased oversight of building control professionals, fire engineers, fire risk assessors and contractors working on higher-risk buildings, while noting that changes must take into account the significant workforce pressures across the sector. The establishment of a single regulator for the sector will provide a greater coherence to regulation but will take time to implement and will need significant further resourcing in order to operate effectively. Similarly, the appointment of a Chief Construction Adviser to Government could provide a “critical friend” to support and challenge regulation and escalate concerns, as long as the Adviser has meaningful independence and appropriate resourcing. CIAT will also closely examine the Construction Products Reform Green Paper, with a view to ensuring that the regulation of products provides both appropriate information for designers, specifiers and contractors, and effective oversight of product testing and certification.
“Implementing these changes will take time, resources, and patience. CIAT looks forward to working with Government to deliver a safer, more resilient built environment, which meets the needs of communities, today and in years to come.”
The Government’s support for the creation of a new single construction regulator is welcome news, but it needs to go further to create a full licensing scheme for building companies, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 Report.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said: “The Grenfell Tower inquiry report has a crucial role to play in ensuring lessons are learnt about building safety. The Government’s decision to act on all 58 recommendations set out in the report is welcome news, particularly the decision to create a new single construction regulator to make sure those responsible for building safety are fully accountable. This is something the FMB fully supports. However, a vital step to deliver long-term change must be the introduction of a licensing scheme to ensure domestic building companies have proven minimum competence. Currently anyone can call themselves a builder and this can’t be right, particularly for those working in the domestic building sector.
“The development of a minimum competency scheme for builders of major construction projects was a key recommendation of the inquiry. This needs to be extended to all construction workers. If we think the situation is challenging for Tier 1 firms, the picture for small building companies and sole-traders is even less clear, given they don't have inhouse resources for training and HR. The Government now has the opportunity to work with the construction sector to introduce a full licensing scheme for building companies, which will help drive up standards and make construction safer for both builders and consumers.”
RICS Head of Professional Practice - Building, Gary Strong, said: “A new, dedicated construction sector regulator and Chief Construction Adviser is welcome, and RICS will continue to offer its expertise to the government to support plans for the new regulator as it takes shape.
"New rules on product safety should further raise manufacturing standards, whilst new laws empowering tenants in the social housing sector will help protect some of the most vulnerable. It is reassuring that the government plans to provide updates every quarter and RICS will support the implementation of these reforms every step of the way."
