In our previous article (HSE-confirms-opening-of-registration-for-higher-risk-buildings) we discussed the requirement that the Principal Accountable Person ("PAP") is obliged to register a higher-risk building ("HRB") with the Building Safety Regulator.
On the 12th of April 2023 the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) opened the registration process for high-rise residential buildings in England, pursuant to s77 of the Building Safety Act. All buildings that are 18m (or at least 7 storeys) tall and contain two or more residential units must be registered by 30 September 2023. The penalties for failing to register an occupied higher-risk building include an unlimited fine and up to two years imprisonment.
The fee for registration is £251 per building. The PAP will need to know the following information about the building (including for each block if there are more than one that meets the HRB definition):
- The number of floors at or above ground level;
- The height of the building (in metres);
- The number of residential units;
- The year of the original build; and
- Its address.
According to Government guidelines, once the application has been submitted the PAP must submit structure and safety information about the building within 28 days. Further, any changes to the building information must be made known to the Building Safety Regulator.
The Guidance also gives details of how to ensure (1)-(5) above is calculated correctly, for example by calculating the height of the building without reference to the roof.
Howard Kennedy's Building Safety Group can assist you with any queries you might have in respect of the Building Safety Act. Please contact Mark Pritchard or Bhavini Patel who head the Group, for more information.
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