Wales passes post-Grenfell building safety legislation

The Welsh parliament has passed the Building Safety (Wales) Bill in response to the Grenfell Tower fire.

The new legislation has established a new building safety regime covering shared residential buildings across Wales regardless of height or tenure.

It requires that fire risk assessments are carried out by “competent persons”, with criminal penalties for non-compliance.

It also lays out clear legal responsibilities for those who manage buildings and gives residents clear routes of redress as well as statutory duties to not undermine building safety for the first time.

For example, residents must not interfere with fire safety systems and must cooperate with the building manager by following safety instructions and providing accurate information when requested.

Welsh parliament has described the bill as “one of the largest pieces of legislation ever considered by the Senedd”.

The Welsh version of the act applies to any building with two or more residential units, whereas England’s Building Safety Act only regulates high-rise buildings with seven or more storeys.

Like in England, Wales has introduced a ‘Golden Thread’ of information as part of the reforms, which is a single, accurate database about a building’s safety information.

The Welsh government also published a report earlier this week on progress being made to implement the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.