The Building Safety Act: More than compliance

The Building Safety Act (BSA) is often described as the most significant regulatory change our industry has seen in a generation. While that's undoubtedly true, I believe it's more important to recognise what sits behind the legislation: a fundamental shift in mindset.

At its heart, the Act is about creating safer buildings, restoring trust and ensuring accountability throughout a building's lifecycle. For us, the Building Safety Act hasn’t changed the objective - it has strengthened the framework around an objective that has always mattered: making informed, evidence-based decisions that create safer outcomes for residents and building users.

As a Tier 1 contractor working across both new-build and remediation projects, we're seeing first-hand how the conversation has moved beyond compliance. The question is no longer, "Are we meeting the regulations?", it's "Can we demonstrate, with confidence, that we've made the right decisions at every stage?"

Recently, Kier Places brought together public sector estates and built environment industry leaders in Leeds and London to discuss how the Building Safety Act is reshaping project delivery. Hosted in partnership with Perega, and with further expert perspectives from Eversheds Sutherland and BCC Consultancy (part of Broste Rivers Group), we explored the challenges and opportunities emerging under the new regime. The insights shared during those discussions have helped shape the views outlined in this article – and our event report which you can find at the end.

Collaboration is now critical

The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator, Gateway approvals and the Golden Thread has raised expectations across the industry. Design information must be more detailed, decisions more clearly evidenced and collaboration much stronger than under previous delivery models.

What we're finding is that successful projects have one thing in common: they start collaborating earlier. Bringing together clients, designers, contractors and specialist partners during pre-construction helps create greater certainty, identify risks sooner and develop the robust information needed to navigate Gateway approvals successfully.

Organisations that treat the Act as a hurdle to overcome later in the process often find themselves facing delays and rework. Those that invest time upfront are generally far better positioned to succeed.

Gateway success starts early

One of the clearest lessons from the first years of the BSA is that Gateway success starts long before a submission is made.

Gateway 2 requires a level of design maturity and coordination that many projects historically wouldn't have achieved until much later in delivery. That's why early contractor involvement, rigorous design development and strong pre-construction planning have become increasingly important.

The industry's traditional approach of resolving issues later in the programme simply doesn't fit within the new regime. Compliance and information management now sit firmly on the critical path.

The Golden Thread is about culture

The Golden Thread is often discussed in terms of technology and data. While those elements are important, its success ultimately depends on culture and behaviour.

Accurate, coordinated and accessible information can only be achieved when everyone involved takes ownership and accountability for what they are producing. For contractors, that means fostering collaboration and transparency rather than pushing risk elsewhere in the supply chain.

When teams work together in that way, information becomes more than a compliance requirement - it becomes a tool for better decision-making and safer outcomes.

Never lose sight of residents

Whilst much of the industry discussion focuses on gateways, approvals and documentation, we should never lose sight of the people these changes are designed to protect.

On occupied remediation projects in particular, resident engagement is critical. We've consistently found that residents are supportive when they understand the purpose of the work and feel genuinely involved in the process. Clear communication, dedicated engagement and a focus on social value help build trust and make delivery more effective.

Building safety is ultimately about people, not paperwork.

A behavioural reset

Perhaps the most profound impact of the Building Safety Act is the cultural transformation it is driving across the built environment.

Building safety is now a governance issue as much as an operational one. Accountability extends from project teams to leadership teams and boards, creating a stronger focus on competence, evidence and decision-making.

We're already seeing a distinction emerge between organisations that have embraced this new reality and those still treating it as a temporary regulatory adjustment. The businesses that are thriving are investing in collaboration, information management and early planning because they recognise that safety, quality and compliance are inseparable.

Looking ahead

The industry's journey from regulation to reality is still unfolding, but one thing is already clear: the Building Safety Act is changing far more than process. It is changing how we think about accountability, collaboration and our responsibility to the people who live and work in the buildings we create.

If we embrace those principles, rather than viewing the legislation as a compliance exercise, we have an opportunity to raise standards, build trust and create a safer built environment for generations to come. Because ultimately, every conversation about building safety should come back to one simple objective: providing safe places for people to live and work.

Read our report from the London and Leeds session.

Clive will be speaking about the Building Safety Act on a panel at the Building the Future Conference on 7 October.