fbpx

Piling federation calls for urgent action on building delays

reporter

Industry body for piling and foundation contractors The Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) has called on the government to address delays caused by the Building Safety Regulator (BRS). 

Credit: 500photos.com / Pexels

FPS has argued that the delays caused by the BSR approval process on project commencement, are placing severe strain on the geotechnical and wider construction sectors. 

BSR is part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and aims to maintain and enhance building safety standards by acting as the enforcing authority for the Building Safety Act 2022.

The federation said these delays can extend far beyond the anticipated 12-week timeline, and are particularly affecting high-rise, commercial, and residential developments.

FPS also said that since the new regulatory framework, which was introduced in April 2024, only a limited number of projects have received approval.

This has left FPS members frustrated by prolonged delays in design finalisation and a lack of incoming work. 

The federation noted that the situation is particularly acute in London and other urban areas, where projects over seven storeys are stalled, “creating a ripple effect across the geotechnical, demolition, and construction supply chains.”

Many FPS members are being forced to consider reducing staff numbers and scaling back investment which the federation said threaten to “erode core teams and exacerbate existing skills shortages once projects eventually gain approval.”

FPS Chair, Malcolm O’Sullivan, said: “While we recognise the importance of the BSR’s role in improving building safety, the reality is that approval times of six months or more are simply not viable. 

“These delays are undermining investment, recruitment, and the wider stability of the sector. More critically, they are jeopardising the Government’s ability to deliver its target of 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. 

“Without urgent reform, these ambitions will remain out of reach.”

The FPS urges the Government and the BSR to address these critical issues by:

– “Providing clear, consistent guidance to ensure a streamlined approval process.”

– “Allocating sufficient resources to accelerate approvals and avoid unnecessary bottlenecks.”

– “Engaging more closely with industry stakeholders to develop practical solutions.”

A spokesperson for the Building Safety Regulator said: “We are dedicated to working with industry to achieve timely approval of building control applications and safe and compliant HRB project completions.

“The new gateway processes brought in following the Grenfell Tragedy are a key control to raise safety standards in buildings.

“However, the building regulations and requirements for building work have not changed in the new regime.

“We require developers to submit high-quality and clear building control applications which fully demonstrate compliance with building regulations to ensure a smooth approval process.

“This will also mitigate the risk of costly delays or potentially higher borrowing costs.

“We recognise that engaging with a new system and requirements is not something which can be achieved overnight and we’re continuing to work closely with industry to identify areas where we can strengthen our advice and guidance for applicants.”

Was this interesting? Try: Sellafield warned over ‘shunting incident’ on site

If you have a tip or story idea that fits with our publication, please contact the news reporter/editor

Get industry news in 5 minutes!

A daily email that makes industry news enjoyable. It’s completely free.