A new national construction products regulator has been established to ensure homes are built from safe materials. The regulator, which has been set up as a reaction to the Grenfell Inquiry, will look to ensure the safe use of building materials on residential projects.
The regulator, which was announced by Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick will have the power to remove any product from the market that is considered to present a significant safety risk and will be able to prosecute companies that fail to adhere to new guidelines.
The set up of the new regulator follows testimony to the Grenfell inquiry that highlighted the dishonest practices by manufacturers of construction materials which included attempts to cheat the system.
As well as the power to remove products from the market, the regulator will be able to carry out its own product testing while checking for compliance of goods.
In addition to the new regulator, and part of wider government reforms for building safety, a new Building Safety Bill has been published in draft heralding the biggest overhaul of regulations for 40 years.
Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said, “The Grenfell Inquiry has heard deeply disturbing allegations of malpractice by some construction product manufacturers and their employees, and of the weaknesses of the present product testing regime.
We are establishing a national regulator to address these concerns and a review into testing to ensure our national approach is fit for purpose. We will continue to listen to the evidence emerging in the Inquiry, and await the judge’s ultimate recommendation - but it is already clear that action is required now and that is what we are doing.”
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