Matt Jarratt, Operations Lead at Procure Plus, discusses procurement’s role in delivering safer buildings, and the importance of choosing partners with specialist expertise that can help housing provider’s navigate complex delivery requirements.

Building safety has become one of the housing sector’s highest priorities in recent years. While conversations often centre around fire safety and higher-risk buildings, particularly following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, there is growing recognition that building safety principles extend beyond fire prevention and remediation.

A whole-building approach considers everything from fire protection to structural integrity and damp and mould, across the lifetime of a building — so residents can live in homes that are safe and secure.

The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator has transformed how higher-risk buildings are managed, though not without challenges. One of the biggest obstacles has been the regulator’s capacity to process the volume of applications submitted. Incomplete applications and a learning curve adapting to the new requirements have also led to delays in approvals and remediation works starting.

There has also been discussion about whether all work requires the same level of regulatory oversight. While major projects such as cladding remediation would need detailed scrutiny, some question whether simpler works, such as replacing certain fire doors, should go through the same process.

Encouragingly, we’ve seen that this situation is improving. Additional resources at the regulator have helped reduce backlogs, while organisations have become more experienced at preparing applications, reducing the need for repeated submissions and speeding up approvals.

Delivery challenges

Several projects held at Gateway 2 in the last financial year are now progressing well, with cladding replacement and ground source heat pump installations helping to keep residents safe and warm in their homes. Maintaining this momentum will be critical as more schemes move through approval and into delivery.

However, delivery presents its own challenges. The availability of skilled contractors to deliver this work remains limited, with some major contractors becoming more cautious about taking on remediations because of the complexity and responsibilities involved. Others have shifted their focus to areas such as retrofit programmes rather than taking on complex building safety projects.

This makes access to specialist expertise more important than ever. Much of the technical knowledge required for areas such as cladding systems, fire stopping and compartmentation sits with specialist contractors, who are often engaged as subcontractors within larger construction supply chains. Procurement strategies should make it easier to access these specialists directly, rather than relying solely on tier-one contractors to provide that expertise.

Just as importantly, procurement should distinguish between consultancy and construction delivery. Separating these services gives clients greater control over projects, improves transparency and creates a lower-risk route to delivery.

The importance of planning ahead

Organisations should aim to understand around 90% of the required works before going to market by carrying out detailed surveys, assessing risks and clearly defining the project scope. This upfront investment provides greater certainty over costs and programme, while reducing the likelihood of significant cost increases caused by incomplete information or changing requirements.

Recognising the importance of this early-stage work, Procure Plus recently introduced a new Building Safety and Compliance Works and Associated Consultancy framework. This enables landlords to identify risks and progress seamlessly into remediation, providing access to specialist expertise across cladding, fire protection, compartmentation and other compliance works.

With stronger understanding, clients can make better-informed decisions and contractors know exactly what is expected, which reduces the chance of unexpected costs or delays. Carrying out surveys, investigations and detailed planning before starting work can help landlords avoid problems later and achieve better value over the life of a project.

Effective procurement also relies on innovative solutions, which can support landlords to meet evolving building safety responsibilities and address availability issues. As further requirements are introduced through Awaab’s Law, covering wider issues like electrical hazards and structural instabilities, housing providers will need innovative solutions that help them respond to tighter timescales.

Emerging technologies

Our commercial teams at Procure Plus are constantly interacting with the market, identifying new ways to address sector challenges. Through collaboration and partnerships, such as our work with the Energy Innovation Agency, we help introduce clients to emerging technologies that can improve resident safety and operational efficiency.

One example is TIC Mould Control, which is designed to make a mould-affected property safer by treating harmful surface and airborne mould spores and giving landlords more time to arrange appropriate remediation works, it protects residents while repairs are planned and reduces the risk for workers carrying them out.

Creating safer homes depends on close collaboration between landlords, contractors, consultants, regulators, residents, and innovation partners. Bringing together specialist expertise enables the sector to respond to changing legislation, embrace new technologies and deliver practical solutions that improve outcomes for residents.

Building safety requires continuous assessment and investment and should be treated as an ongoing commitment to protecting residents and maintaining safe homes. As regulation continues to evolve and new challenges arise, housing providers will need partners who understand the changing landscape and can provide specialist expertise to help navigate complex delivery requirements.