Reeves promises not to ‘renege’ on building safety regulation as 90 new high-rise projects held up by rules

Rachel Reeves has said the government will not “renege” on building safety regulation, as new figures show dozens of high-rise towers are on hold due to ‘gateway 2’ checks.

The chancellor, following a major economic speech yesterday, was asked whether the government’s focus on loosening rules such as planning approvals to boost economic growth could put safety at risk, given the Grenfell Inquiry found deregulation was a factor in the 2017 tragedy.

Reeves said: “We have got to get the balance right on regulation but we’ve made commitments to the families that have suffered because of what happened at Grenfell and we are not reneging on these commitments.”

Reeves’ comments come as new figures obtained from the Building Safety Regulator show 90 higher-risk buildings – defined as having seven storeys or above 18 metres in height – are currently on hold pending design approval.

Under the Building Safety Act’s ‘gateway 2’, construction cannot start until the BSR has confirmed the design complies with all relevant building regulations and safety standards.

The figures, which were released as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request from consultant Project4, show 11 higher-risk buildings have been approved, nine of which were legacy projects.

A total of 92 new higher-risk buildings are on hold, with 79 “under review” and 13 where further information has been requested about the project. The figures also show work on 641 existing higher-risk buildings on hold.

The Health and Safety Executive, which operates as the Building Safety Regulator, has been approached for comment.

Reeves yesterday announced plans for a “growth corridor” between Cambridge and Oxford.

She said new transport infrastructure could “act as a catalyst for new housing” and revealed that the government had already received proposals for 18 new towns along the new East West rail line.

But Steve Wood, chief executive of the National House Building Council, added: “The key to delivering any of this is tackling the chronic skills shortage in construction. We need to see a similar focus on the skills gap as well as planning reform.”