Described as the “interim director” of building safety at the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), Philip White, is set to step down from just one of his roles this September.
White’s departure marks the second leadership change since the regulator’s creation just three years ago in 2022.
His decision comes after nearly two years overseeing the regulator, from December 2023, through one of the most complex periods for UK building safety reform.
White joined the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), under which the BSR sits, as a factory inspector in 1985.
In addition to the interim role, he also serves as chief inspector of buildings at the HSE,with the departure from the former detailed as a “partial retirement” as he will still retain his latter role.
The HSE confirmed it is seeking a permanent replacement director for the BSR, which was created by the Building Safety Act 2022 as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire, considered critical amid mounting concern from developers and contractors. It said an advert for this role has already been posted.
White’s departure follows that of former BSR chief, Peter Baker, who retired unexpectedly just days after the regulator’s new safety regime for builders to register high-rise buildings was launched in April 2023.
Industry frustration has grown over long delays and high costs associated with the new Gateway 2 approval process for higher-risk buildings, leading to a House of Lords committee issuing a call for evidence into the BSR.
According to data obtained by Cast Consultancy through a Freedom of Information request, only 10.7 per cent of the 187 Gateway 2 applications for new high-risk buildings had been approved by the end of May.
The average fee for these approvals was £28,000, with some exceeding £80,000 and requiring hundreds of hours of assessment.
A spokesperson for the HSE said: “Mr White has been part of HSE for over 40 years and has made the personal decision that it is time for him to reduce his working hours and therefore step down as director of building safety after having led BSR through a pivotal couple of years.”
The regulator’s new leadership will inherit the challenge of streamlining approval processes while maintaining strict safety standards – a balance crucial to unlocking stalled housing projects across UK cities.
The BSR said it will continue to benefit from White’s experience as it enters its second year of the new Gateway approval system, which came into effect in October 2023, in response to the Grenfell inquiry recommendations.
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