Experts across the new homes and construction industry gathered together in London last week for a Building Safety Act conference to discuss the ramifications on tall buildings in England
The InSite: Tall Buildings conference, hosted by leading structural warranty provider Premier Guarantee, brought together a panel of industry leaders, including the Building Safety Regulator (HSE), to explain the Building Safety Act and outline the changes it will bring.
The conference provided key insights into the Building Safety Act
Held at the National Theatre on the South Bank, the Building Safety Act conference provided key insights for developers, builders and new homeowners ahead of a pivotal year.
The speakers included:
- Paul Nash, Industry Safety Steering Group
- Colin Blatchford-Brown, Operational Policy Lead for Gateways and Building Control, Building Safety Regulator
- David Aitchison, Head of Building Control and Design Review, Premier Guarantee
- Dan Hollas, Building Safety Director, Clarion Housing Group
- Peter Dawber, Interim Industry Competence, Solvere Ltd
- James McGloin, Regional Director (London), Premier Guarantee
- Sean Garbutt, Senior Associate Gowling WLG
One of the event speakers, Peter Dawber called the gathering, which had over 100 delegates in attendance, ‘invaluable’ and outlined their importance: “You get a sense of where the issues are. In the room [today] we’ve got a great mix of contractors, designers, clients who can interact and you can see in the room, a lot of people are mixing.
“Just to get assurance that you are on the right track or maybe find out that you need to catch up a bit more, just to get that peer review is invaluable.”
‘The biggest change to the construction industry in a generation’
Paul Nash of the Industry Safety Steering Group, said: “These events have a key role to play in raising awareness for building safety, of the Building Safety Act and the changes that are coming through.
“If you have an opportunity to come to an event like this and you haven’t done so then please do because this has been described as the biggest change in safety legislation in our industry in a generation and the effects for anyone working in this industry are absolutely massive.”
James McGloin echoed the sentiment. He said: “Attending events like this are a must. You’ve got to come to them. If you want to be involved in this community and this industry, you need to understand it. The only way to understand it is to get involved in it. Come to the events, meet people and learn something new.”
One of the largest providers of structural warranties in the UK
Premier Guarantee is one of the largest providers of structural warranties in the UK and specialises in taller building construction developments through its Major Projects service. Projects have included Chalegrove Properties’ 76-floor Landmark Pinnacle, the tallest residential building in the UK.
The warranty provider’s InSite events bring together significant voices across the new homes and building sector to address major construction topics and are seen as an insightful forum for industry discussion.
Building safer, high-quality tall buildings
Liam Devaney, Managing Director of Premier Guarantee’s Warranty Inspection Services, said: “As a warranty and building control provider, Premier Guarantee has a vital role to play in the construction sector, not just during the construction phase, but for the completed building and its eventual occupants.
“As an industry we have been presented with monumental challenges over the past four years, many of which are discussed by my knowledgeable colleagues in this paper.
“Working with the industry we must help shape the future by building safer, compliant and high-quality tall buildings.”
