Thouria Istephan speaking at the CIBSE Building Safety Conference
An On the wire story
The search for the government’s next chief construction and scientific adviser is continuing, with the appointment now expected by the end of the year, according to Building Design.
That timetable means Thouria Istephan is due to step down at the end of September without the month-long handover she had previously anticipated, leaving the post temporarily unfilled as the ministry completes recruitment.
Istephan was brought in as interim chief construction adviser in September 2025 for a 12-month term, part of the government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendations.
Government statements at the time said the role was intended to provide independent expertise on building safety and regulatory reform, while also helping to shape a more accountable built environment sector. The post is now being widened to cover scientific advice as well, and the permanent appointment is expected to be full-time for three years.
In her final report, Istephan argued that conduct across the industry is central to safety. She said behaviours would be ‘an essential factor in a functioning safety culture’ and stressed that everyone working in the built environment must remain curious, accountable and properly competent.
At the recent CIBSE Building Safety Conference she said accountability applies to every individual professional and they must have the courage to speak up and act, even when systems or clients make that difficult.
She said she had witnessed professionals continue working when a client is asking them to do something that is immoral or illegal. ‘As professional people, you have a code of ethics that says you are accountable,’ she said.
In her view, responsibility begins with clients and funders, who often set the tone on projects, but extends throughout the whole supply chain.
At the conference she highlighted the failure of some clients to take responsibility for competence checks, noting that was aware of clients who had done nothing in response to the inquiry. ‘Some real root cause issues are related to clients and them not taking an interest,’ she said.
The government’s latest progress material on Grenfell reform says Istephan’s interim role helped support work on policy, industry engagement and plans for a single regulator.
According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recruitment for the combined chief construction and scientific adviser post is under way and the outcome will be announced in due course.
References
Main reference: Building Design [1]
Sources by paragraph:
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Source: Noah Wire Services
• This On the wire article was created using Noahwire AI and reviewed by CIBSE Journal’s editorial team
