The Building Safety Act is forcing a fundamental shift in how buildings are designed, delivered and managed. And the key to managing this is clear according to the experts - industry-led solutions powered by digital tools, clearer communication and a culture of collaboration.
The Building Safety Act (BSA) is more than a regulatory milestone - it’s a line in the sand for how the UK construction industry designs, delivers and maintains its buildings.
Yes, it’s complex. Yes, it’s forcing some uncomfortable reckonings, but as Brett King, director of industry transformation at Procore, put it, it’s also “absolutely necessary” and a catalyst for higher standards and safer outcomes.
A recent panel at Digital Construction Week laid bare the practical realities of implementing the Act, but more importantly, it surfaced the real path forward: industry-led solutions powered by technology, standardisation and a willingness to break with old habits. The question now isn’t if the industry needs to change - it’s how quickly it can.
The panel featured industry experts Sean Cook, managing director at Urban & Regional; Graham Corder, development director at Steyn Group; and Joshua Waterman, managing director of Building Safety Act Consult.
Addressing initial hurdles: a pathway to consistency
Early experiences with the BSA, particularly around Gateway 2 applications, have brought forth challenges.
Experts like Waterman and Corder have pointed to “inconsistency” and a need for clearer communication from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
This isn’t just industry grumbling - it’s exactly the feedback needed to shape a smarter, faster compliance system.
The widespread consensus, articulated by King, is that “the building safety act is asking the industry to do all the good things it should have been doing anyway.”
The Act formalises existing building regulations, providing a vital checkpoint to ensure buildings are designed and delivered as intended. This understanding underpins the drive for improvement, rather than resistance.
Elevating competence through collaboration
A key solution lies in fostering greater competence and collaboration.
Waterman, whose firm has processed or been involved in around 25 Gateway 2 applications, called on the industry to look in the mirror and level up its practices.
Cook, managing director at Urban & Regional, highlighting that real progress will only come when the BSR and industry stop working in silos and start solving problems together.
This collaboration is vital for clarifying expectations and improving the quality of submissions, directly addressing common rejection causes like the BSR reportedly rejecting 75% of applications, often due to “basic things that are missing”.
A stark indicator that too many project teams are either misinterpreting the guidance or missing the basics altogether.
Technology: enabling streamlined compliance
Technology is emerging as a powerful enabler for BSA compliance. King shared how Procore’s platform is being designed to let teams build, check and refine Gateway 2 submissions in one place - cutting down the admin burden and avoiding unnecessary regulator pushback.
This proactive approach is designed to ensure submissions are relevant and complete, reducing delays caused by unnecessary information or omissions. King highlighted that contractors are sometimes submitting the regulations themselves to the BSR, an unnecessary step.
“The regulator knows the regulations. You don’t need to submit all of that,” King clarified, underscoring the efficiency gains this offers by focusing on relevant information.
Echoing King’s point, Waterman added that a digital platform could automate a significant portion of the application process. He envisions a system where “55% of an application is baked in” with templated sections for consistent data entry, such as prescriptive client declarations.
This standardisation, he notes, would make it “so much easier” to compile accurate compliance reports that mirror approved document structures (Parts A, B, C, etc.), streamlining review for regulators.
The vision extends to the Golden Thread, where unified platforms will ensure critical information is structured and accessible for Gateway 3 approvals, simplifying the verification that a building has been built in accordance with its approved design.
With Gateway 3 fast approaching, the Golden Thread is no longer theoretical - it’s the test of whether your digital backbone is fit for purpose.
A unified path forward
Through initiatives, like Build UK’s work with the regulator to develop guidelines and the collaborative efforts to produce standardised information requirements (such as those for Regulation 38 by BIM for Housing and BIM in Asset Management), the sector needs to continue shaping a more efficient and effective compliance landscape.
The road ahead is clear: embrace better tools, share what works, and treat compliance not as a tick-box exercise, but as a long-term investment in trust and safety.
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