As part of wider plans for post-Grenfell regulation of the construction industry, the government has decided that the historic professional institutions can no longer be trusted to regulate their professions – central oversight is required.
“While many of those in the sector are already working to high standards, the current system of regulation and oversight is too complex and fragmented to provide public confidence that this is always the case,” the government asserts in its prospectus for the forthcoming Single Construction Regulator.
“No single body has a full view of competence, capacity, regulation and enforcement across the building professions,” it says. “While some areas are regulated in statute, most are self-regulated or not regulated at all. Where professional bodies provide oversight, these can vary in terms of legal status, governance and public interest functions. There is also no consistent definition or enforcement of competence, or standards for public accountability. This is despite significant endeavours from many in the industry to drive skills and competence. As a result, there is generally insufficient recognition and benefit for those who do the right thing and limited consequences for those who do not, with wider implications for skills, development and overall productivity.”
It has announced that it will publish a call for evidence in spring 2026 to seek views on proposals for reform, building on the findings of earlier consultations on building control and architects. It will then publish a strategy for the built environment professions in spring 2027. This will include detailed design of a new framework for regulation, oversight and enforcement.
It said: “We are exploring a range of options for the precise design, form and scope of this new framework that brings together the recommendations of the [Grenfell Fire] Inquiry, established good practice from other areas (including aviation, energy and healthcare) and sector engagement, as well as considering wider work across government and industry to address wider challenges regarding skills and capacity. This includes specific consideration of the relationship between a new professional oversight function and, for example, existing regulators and professional bodies, as well as the links between regulation of people, products and buildings.”
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