MAJOR BUILDING SAFETY ACT CHANGES SET TO IMPACT CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN 2025

February 11 2025

Following the Grenfell Tower inquiry, the Building Safety Act is set to see significant changes in 2025 – increasing the importance of fire safety in any building, but especially higher-risk buildings (HRB).

Amendments to fire safety and evacuation provisions, including Approved Document B, were introduced in a parliamentary statement issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG). These are set to come into effect from 2^nd March 2025. These new updates will remove references to the national classification system for fire resistance, known as BS476. Parts 6 and 7 will require construction products to be classified in accordance with EN13501-1, with performance classes A1 and A2 for non-combustible products and B, C, D, and E for combustible products.

The changes will particularly impact Gateways 2 and 3, vital decision points in the design and construction process for HRBs. Indeed, the new regulation changes will require the developer of a project to obtain ‘building control approval’ from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before beginning development work.

Known as ‘Gateway 2 approval’, this ensures the building’s design is safe before building work commences and increases the importance of accurate specification and the use of trusted materials.

Despite this, a report by Inside Housing revealed a low number of Gateway 2 applications being approved – only 146 applications out of 1,018 were signed off by the BSR as ‘compliant’.

The period between Gateway 2 and 3 will also require any changes in specification to be recorded in the change control plan so the impact can be considered by the relevant teams. For example, if a non-combustible class A1 steel riser flooring product is specified in Gateway 2 and replaced by a combustible Class C GRP product, it must be recorded and documented before the BSR signs off the building for handover at Gateway 3.

The final stage of Gateway 3 will occur once construction has been completed and will see the BSR issuing a completion certificate.

The upcoming changes to the Building Safety Act will increase the importance of utilising trusted and non-combustible materials during the construction of any HRB. It will also further heighten the role of suppliers and manufacturers by tightening regulations around testing. In fact, products will need to be tested and certified to EN13501-1 to enable contractors and design teams to make informed comparisons between products.

Alex Bardett, Managing Director at Ambar Kelly, suggested the upcoming regulation changes had been a long time coming. He said: “The Building Safety Act changes are much-needed and aim to make significant improvements to quality and safety standards across the built environment, but especially in HRBs. 

“Fire safety has, and always will be, a vital aspect of building design and construction, and it’s important that people across the built environment are aware of the significant impact that correct specification and the use of non-combustible materials can have on building quality and safety.”