The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report Government Response: Annual Report 2026
March 2026On 25 February 2026, one year on from the Government’s formal response to the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 Report (the “Inquiry”), the Government has published its first annual review detailing progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Inquiry. The annual review can be read in full here, and our previous article on the Government’s formal response can be found here.
The Inquiry, whose report was published in September 2024, set out 61 recommendations for further building safety reform, with significant implications for the construction industry. Of those 61 recommendations, 12 are complete, with the remaining 49 in progress.
With the Grenfell tragedy continuing to shape the landscape of building safety, we review the progress made to date.
What progress has been made?
Single Construction Regulator
One of the most significant structural reforms listed by the Inquiry was the recommendation for a single construction regulator, as building safety oversight was spread across multiple organisations leading to fragmentation, weak accountability and risks left unaddressed.
In the first step to implement this recommendation, the Government published its Single Construction Regulator Prospectus (the “Prospectus”) in December 2025, outlining the new regulator’s role in consolidating regulatory functions across buildings, construction products and building professions to improve safety, accountability and public trust. The Prospectus confirms that the new regulatory body will draw together functions currently dispersed across the Building Safety Regulator (“BSR”), the National Regulatory for Construction Products as well as local regulators and other bodies.
In line with the regulatory functions recommended by the Inquiry, core responsibilities of the new regulator will include:
- Oversight and enforcement of building control;
- Regulation of construction products, including testing oversight and certification assurance;
- Licensing contractors for work on higher‑risk buildings;
- Maintaining a public library of test data;
- Monitoring and advising on the Building Regulations; and
- Collecting and sharing fire safety information
On 27 January 2026, in what the annual report describes as a “key step towards a fully integrated single construction regulator”, the BSR was established as its own independent legal entity within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The government is currently consulting on the single construction regulator (the consultation closes 20 March 2026), and a response will be published in summer 2026 setting out final design choices for the regulator, where responsibilities sit, how functions will be integrated, and what legislative changes will be required.
Allied to the above, an interim Chief Construction Adviser was appointed in October 2025. This will be replaced by a new, permanent role: the Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser, who will establish technical leadership on construction, science and engineering issues. The aim is for a permanent Adviser to be appointed and in post by the end of September 2026.
Construction Products Reform
The Inquiry identified serious and dangerous failings in relation to product testing, certification and market oversight, with less than 40% of products regulated under designated standards and testing systems suffering from conflicts of interest and weak oversight. To address these failings, the annual review brings together a major package of reforms through the Construction Products Reform White Paper (the “White Paper”). The White Paper (which builds on and responds to the earlier Green Paper from February 2025) was published alongside the annual review, and can be read in full here.
The key feature is the universal regulation of all construction products via Designated Standards, requiring mandatory performance declarations, UKCA/CE marking testing and certification, and via the General Safety Requirements (“GSR”) which is a new risk-based legal duty for products not covered by designated standards. GSR implementation is targeted for late 2027.
Other key features of the reform package include:
- Enhanced oversight for safety-critical products such as fire doors and cladding systems, increasing obligations for designers, contractors and manufacturers;
- All UK Conformity Assessment Bodies will require mandatory licensing, statutory codes of conduct, independence safeguards, and transparency obligations;
- Manufacturers and economic operators will be required to provide comprehensive digital product information such as intended use, installation, safety date and test results, as well as evidence-backed marketing claims with legal duties to disclose relevant test data to both the new single regulator and certifiers; and
- The new single construction regulator will replace local authority trading standards in carrying primary enforcement duties.
The White Paper recognises that long-term reform will take time and require a concentrated effort from those with responsibilities. As part of this, there is the opportunity for stakeholders to engage in consultation ahead of phased implementation of the various reforms (some of which may require lead times of 18-24 months). The consultation will run until 20 May 2026.
Higher-Risk Buildings
The Inquiry raised concerns that the existing definition of a higher-risk building (“HRB”) may be too narrow, in that it did not reflect the full range of budlings where consequences from a fire or structural failure could be most severe.
The BSR carried out an initial review of the HRB definition in 2005, examining evidence on building height, use, occupancy and the risks associated. The findings were published in December 2025, and confirmed that the existing definition continues to capture buildings that present the greatest risk for catastrophic harm (and therefore remains appropriate at this time).
Although the specific recommendation from the Inquiry has been met, the BSR will review the HRB definition at least once a year going forward, so as to take into account new information as it becomes available.
Approved Document B and Building Regulations
The BSR continues to undertake what is described as the “Fundamental Review of Building Regulations guidance”. In the past 12 months, this has first involved scoping and early engagement, followed more recently by a more detailed phase of analysis and evidence gathering. Most recently, BSR’s work has focused on making the structure and intent of the statutory guidance clearer, improving usability, and addressing significant ambiguities that were identified by the Inquiry.
The intention is for the BSR to launch a public consultation on proposed updates to Approved Document B, and fire guidance within the Building Regulations, in summer 2026.
Regulation of Professions
The Inquiry recommended that fire engineers become a regulated profession and called for a clear definition of the competencies required. To advance this, the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel was formed in April 2025 and published its Authoritative Statement on 17 December 2025. The statement outlines a future vision for a regulated fire engineering profession and the next steps for reform, including the Government’s commitment to legislate to protect the title and role of “fire engineer” to strengthen public safety and accountability.
The Inquiry also recommended steps to improve professional standards across building control. The Building Control Independent Panel reviewed over 220 submissions of evidence to shape its recommendations in that field, and these are due later in 2026.
In terms of principal contractors on HRBs, the government is developing a new licensing scheme. Only those who meet the required standards will be allowed to oversee work on such buildings, so as to improve safety, raise competence, and give the public greater confidence in how major building projects are run.
It is also considering a new requirement for directors or senior managers in construction companies to personally sign a statement confirming they have taken all reasonable steps to make sure the building complies with building regulations when finished. It is also considering a similar obligation on principal designers in respect of the design of an HRB. These form part of a wider review of dutyholder roles that is due in autumn 2026.
Remediation of Buildings
Finally, the government intends to introduce primary legislation as soon as possible to “drive forward the remediation of historic unsafe cladding”. This appears to be a reference to the Remediation Bill (part of the 2025 Remediation Acceleration Plan), the goal of which is to “create certainty about which buildings need remediating” and to give regulators powers they need to compel action or impose severe sanctions on those who do not act.
What’s to come?
The annual review estimates that 70% of all recommendations will be advanced by the end of 2026. While matters will no doubt progress during the course of the year, it is worth noting that there are several aspects that could be several years away from implementation.
We will keep a close eye as implementation of the recommendations progress throughout the course of 2026 and beyond.
If you would like to discuss how the above issues may impact your projects or contracts, please contact the authors or your usual Beale & Co contact.
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