£70m FUNDING TO ADDRESS BUILDING SAFETY SHORTAGES
MHCLG promises ‘up to 700 new Registered Building Inspectors…’

It is intended to provide:

• Up to 700 new Registered Building Inspectors trained, and funding available for upskilling of existing ones
• Funding for bursaries in Fire Engineering higher education programmes, higher education provision, research and academic capacity
• More building inspectors and fire engineers to approve new homes

The funding is split between the Building Control (£55 million) and Fire Engineering (£15 million) sectors

Both sectors are suffering from qualified professional staff shortages, which is both limiting housing supply and was highlighted as an area of concern in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The funding will increase the number of Registered Building Inspectors by up to 700, including those (Class 3H) who can inspect High-Risk Buildings, as well as increase the number of Fire Engineers and availability of Fire Engineering education.

The three-year funding programme is a response to recommendations from the House of Lords regulatory committee for the government to increase capacity in the in the building control and fire engineering sectors, while both the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel and responses to the Building Control Independent Panel’s call for evidence have highlighted the importance of suitably qualified and trained professionals.