Registration of higher-risk buildings

In April, the Building Safety Regulator opened its online registration portal to enable owners of higher-risk buildings in England and Wales to submit applications to register their buildings before 01 October 2023. Legal firm Trowers & Hamlins estimates the portal needs to receive more than 70 submissions a day in order to register more than 12,500 higher-risk buildings before the deadline.

Each higher-risk building will have a Principal Accountable Person (PAP) who will be responsible for ensuring that the building is registered. Information to be submitted includes: contact details of the PAP; basic information about the building (including its address, height and date of construction); and details of the building control final certificate in relation to the building.

Following the registration, a full pack of key building information will also need to be provided within 28 days. The regulations prescribing this key building information were passed into law on 26 March and require the following to be included:

• the use of each part of the building and any ancillary buildings

• the composition of materials used in the structure, external walls, insulation and roof covering of the building

• the staircases, the type of energy supply and any fixtures attached to the external walls

• the evacuation strategy; and

• the fire and smoke control equipment within the building.

Both the government and the Building Safety Regulator have been clear that failure to comply with the October deadline for registration of higher-risk buildings will constitute a criminal offence by the PAP.

For more information, visit bit.ly/trowers_BSA

Image credit | Alamy