There is a lot of chatter about the looming milestone of April 2024 and what this means for those who are responsible for Higher Risk Buildings in England.

As we know, the Principal Accountable Person (PAP) for any HRB should already be building their Building Safety Case, and preparing and starting to implement their Residents Engagement Strategy and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Strategy in order to obtain a Building Assessment Certificate, but what exactly is happening in April this year?

April marks the date that the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR), part of the HSE, will begin inviting PAPs to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate.

The key word here is begin.

The BSR anticipates that it will take a period of five years to call in and assess every existing HRB in England.

Once directed to apply for a Building Assessment certificate, PAPs will be required to present their Building Safety Case Report, Residents Engagement Strategy and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Strategy for their HRB to the regulator along with a Section 89 Statement.

As we predicted in December, the BSR is prioritising the buildings deemed to pose the greatest risk to life safety, including the largest and most complex buildings with the highest numbers of dwellings, and those with particular hazards including Large Panel Systems and un-remediated  Aluminium Cladding Material to the walls.

The PAPs responsible for this type of highest risk building will be contacted first, and directed to submit their applications.

Although the new portal opens in April 2024, this does not mean that everybody can apply for their Building Assessment Certificate straight away. The BSR will contact each PAP to let them know when it is their turn, and they will be given 28 days to provide the necessary documents for the BSR to assess.

We are aware that some in Tranche 1 have already received advance notification that they will be invited to apply for their Building Assessment Certificate between April & June 2024.

Here are a few key points to note if you are worried about the HRB you manage or are responsible for:

• April 2024 is when the BSR will start directing the first tranche of PAPs to apply for their Building Assessment Certificate.
• You cannot apply for a Building Assessment Certificate until you are directed to do so by the BSR.
• April 2024 is not a deadline per se, it marks the start of this new process, which will continue over a number of years.
• It is a legal requirement that you comply with the Building Safety Regulator’s request to submit your Building Safety Case Report documents.

Until you receive your notification from the BSR that your building is being called in, there are some steps you should be taking. You should be working on your Building Safety Case, as well as creating and implementing your Residents Engagement Strategy and Mandatory Occurrence Strategy in line with the Building Safety Act.

If you have any specific questions about creating your Building Safety Case, Residents Engagement Strategy or Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Strategy or need help and guidance on getting your HRB ready for assessment by the Building Safety Regulator, please do get in touch to find out how we can help you.

Email: enquiries@frconsultants.co.uk

Telephone: 01794 332179

Or visit www.frconsultants.co.uk