On 26 February 2025 the government published its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, accepting 49 of the 58 recommendations in full and the remaining nine in principle. The headline structural change is the creation of a single construction regulator, and in December 2025 the government published its prospectus and consultation setting out how it would work.
What a single regulator does
Today, oversight of construction is split across several bodies. The proposed single construction regulator would draw those functions together into one organisation responsible for the regulation of buildings, construction products and the professionals who work on them. The aim is to remove the gaps between regulators that the Inquiry identified, and to create one clear point of accountability.
Notably, the government has been explicit that the new regulator will not itself test or certify construction products or issue certificates of compliance; that work stays with the existing conformity assessment system.
Competence, accountability and a documented "who did what" trail are the throughline of every Grenfell reform. That expectation is steadily widening from high-rise work into mainstream practice.
Higher-risk buildings and competence
The reforms sit alongside the Building Safety Act regime for higher-risk buildings, where the threshold remains buildings of at least 18 metres or seven storeys. The Building Safety Regulator reviewed that definition and concluded the height-based threshold remains appropriate based on fire statistics. For trades working on in-scope buildings, demonstrating competence and keeping records is now a regulatory requirement, not a nicety.
What it means for fire and building trades
If you install or maintain fire safety systems, the pressure on documentation and competence will keep rising. A fire alarm or emergency lighting system is only as defensible as the installation, commissioning and emergency lighting certificates that prove it was designed, installed and tested to standard. Our overview of fire alarm grades and categories explains how those design decisions are recorded.
For the official position, read the government's Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 response.
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Published 2026-06-24. This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Always refer to the relevant standards and consult qualified professionals for definitive requirements.