How to Stay Compliant with the Latest Building Regulations

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Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act 2022 was enacted after the tragic 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, with legislation overhauling how buildings across England are designed, constructed and managed.

Anyone in the construction industry is also required to be competent in their job roles and always work within their levels of competence through this Act.

There has been an update to the Act in 2025 which makes it necessary for all higher-risk buildings (HRBs) to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). This is no longer a regulatory checkbox.

Tradespeople working on a project that involves a HRB must ensure they cover these three Gateways to comply with the Building Safety Act too:

• Gateway One – Submit a fire statement at the planning stage of a building, which details the concepts, principles and approach applied to the structure in relation to fire safety.
   

• Gateway Two – Present building control applications to the BSR to be approved before any construction work is carried out. These applications should detail to the regulator that the building’s design is compliant with building regulations and is safe.
   

• Gateway Three – Carry out a thorough assessment at the end of project work, checking that the job has adhered to approved plans and it complies with all safety regulations. Any deviations identified will need to be addressed before a completion certificate is issued, with occupancy not granted until this is the case.

Damage to reputation, disruption to operations, heightened liability, fines and possibly even criminal charges could all be the result of anyone in the construction industry who does not comply with the Building Safety Act. Therefore, it is important to read up on all of GOV.UK’s guidance on the Act.

Remediation Acceleration Plan

The remediation of buildings across England identified as having unsafe cladding is set to be looked at with increased pace by the government through its Remediation Acceleration Plan.

In a measure aimed at better protecting leaseholders and residents, this Plan will also bring new measures in place which can enhance how more at-risk buildings can be identified.

There is then a 2029 target set out by the government, which tasks those involved in this work to:

1. Achieve the remediation of every building that is 18 metres high or over in England that is identified as currently having unsafe cladding.
 

2. Either remediate or at the very least have a date of completion in place for every building that is 11 metres high or over in England that is identified as currently having unsafe cladding.

Read the full Remediation Acceleration Plan on GOV.UK to understand the government’s full commitment on this subject.

Future Homes Standard

The Future Homes Standard (FHS) is a UK government policy that is set to be published in May 2025, with a 12-month grace period to be put in place following this date.

More carbon reduction and energy efficiency practices will be encouraged through the policy, with the aim to achieve this through these goals in particular:

• Focus more on fabric efficiency, which can be accomplished by improving insulation, minimising heat loss and putting well-sealed structures in place.

• Legislate that new homes in the UK are constructed to a high quality, such as with the installation of windows with a U-value of 1.2 W/m²K or lower. This way, occupants are provided with comfortable and healthy living conditions.

• Prioritise low-carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps.

• Bring in-use carbon emissions down by between 75% and 80% compared to the standards in place currently.

While this will only affect new building regulations submissions made after the government’s trigger date – which is yet to be confirmed in 2025 – it will be wise for those in the trade to understand as much as possible about the FHS by reading the government’s 2023 consultation on GOV.UK.

We hope you've found this guide useful, though we encourage you to also browse through our building regulations hub for more helpful information.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this page is intended as an overall introduction and is not intended as specific advice from a qualified professional. Travis Perkins aims to avoid, but accepts no liability, in the case that any information stated is out of date.