Building safety remains one of the most significant challenges facing the built environment, as the industry continues to adjust to post-Grenfell reforms and the implementation of the Building Safety Act. This plenary session brings together experts from across design, housing, construction and regulation to examine how the new safety regime is working in practice.

Drawing on lessons from recent safety reviews and early experience of the gateway processes, the discussion will explore how responsibility, competence and accountability are being reshaped across projects. Panellists will consider the impact of regulatory compliance on programme, cost and risk, and the implications for decision-making at each stage of the building lifecycle.

The session will also look ahead to the next phase of reform, focusing on how collaboration between clients, designers, contractors and building operators can support safer outcomes, and how building safety can be embedded alongside other industry priorities, including sustainability, retrofit and housing delivery.

Chair:

Chloe McCulloch
Editorial director
Assemble Media Group