This is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the built environment, with major developments under way across building safety, professional standards and regulatory oversight that will affect England and the rest of the UK.
Just before Christmas, the UK government published its long-awaited Single Construction Regulator (SCR) Prospectus. The document sets out proposals to create a new single oversight body and reform the wider regulatory framework covering buildings, construction products and professionals.
This document stems from the first recommendation of the Grenfell Tower independent report, which identified ‘systemic fragmentation and cultural weaknesses’ in the regulatory system that it says contributed to the tragedy of 14 June 2017.
For CIBSE, the prospectus is an important opportunity to influence the future regulatory environment. It outlines a framework underpinned by four objectives that align closely with CIBSE’s role and mission:
- Ensuring buildings are safe, high-performing and sustainable
- Enabling companies and individuals to operate in the interests of users
- Ensuring products are fit for purpose and supported by reliable information
- Rebuilding trust in the system.
System-wide oversight
The prospectus signals that the proposed SCR would have system-wide reach, covering commercial and domestic buildings, new and existing stock, and higher-risk and non-higher-risk buildings. This represents a shift away from a narrowly scoped regulatory approach.
For building services engineers, this matters. A regulator with a whole-system view has the potential to address gaps between design intent, construction quality and performance.
The government says the current system lacks coherence and clarity
Competence and coordination
A central theme of the prospectus is the need to address fragmentation. The government says the current system lacks coherence and clarity, leading to inconsistent oversight and accountability. The prospectus proposes a single oversight function for standards and professionals within the SCR. While details are limited, this signals a move towards stronger coordination of professional competence, conduct and standards across disciplines. Comparisons are drawn with sectors such as aviation and healthcare, where central regulation sits alongside clearly defined professional responsibilities.
This raises important questions for professional institutions: how competence frameworks, professional registration and professional development align with future regulatory expectations, and how professional judgement is supported – not undermined – by regulation.
The prospectus also promotes a more digital, data-led regulatory system, with improved information sharing and transparency.
Published on the same day were documents that signal a broader programme of reform and aim to deliver on the recommendations in Dame Judith Hackitt’s report. These were:
- An ‘authoritative statement’ on fire engineers, setting out a vision for a future state of the regulated fire profession
- A review of the definition of higher-risk buildings.
- The third report on the government’s progress towards implementing the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report.
What comes next?
Key milestones over the next 18 months include: the SCR consultation deadline in March 2026; a Construction Products Reform White Paper; a government response to the SCR consultation; and a future strategy for built environment professionals, coming in the summer
Alongside safety reforms and scrutiny, performance standards continue to evolve. The forthcoming Future Homes and Buildings Standard, expected to be published soon, following consultation in 2023/24, will shape requirements for energy efficiency, ventilation and low carbon design across new homes and non-domestic buildings, areas where building services engineers play a critical role.
These developments point to sustained regulatory change that will shape professional practice for years.
CIBSE encourages members to engage with the SCR consultation and the wider reform agenda. To support this, we have refreshed our Building Safety Working Group to provide a dedicated forum – so, if you’d like to have your say, get in touch.
About the author
Sam Baptist is head of government affairs at CIBSE