Dawn Ward, Head of Building Safety at FirstPort
The Grenfell Tower tragedy marked a significant turning point for the UK property sector, changing how building safety is understood, managed and enforced. For property management companies like FirstPort, this has had a direct impact on the way major works are planned and delivered.
Safety assurance is now a key consideration across all aspects of managing residential buildings, but its importance is particularly evident in the delivery of major works projects. No longer viewed simply as a construction exercise, major works are now driven by a safety‑first approach. This shift represents a necessary and positive step for the sector, ensuring that resident safety is always the top priority.
One of the most significant changes has been the level of specialist expertise now embedded in the delivery of major works projects. Input from fire, building and structural engineers for building safety-related projects, alongside increased regulatory oversight from bodies such as the Building Safety Regulator, means that major works are subject to far greater scrutiny and technical oversight than in the past. This has strengthened standards across the industry, improving how projects are designed, delivered and managed.
However, the increased regulatory oversight can also affect programme delivery. For higher-risk buildings, certain major works may require formal review and approval stages before they can proceed or reach completion under the Building Safety Act regime. Where additional information, design clarification or assurance evidence is required, this can extend lead times or introduce delays to starting the major works. While this process adds complexity, it plays an important role in ensuring that safety-critical decisions are properly tested and validated before works progress.
Safety assurance is an essential consideration throughout the entire lifecycle of a major works project. From initial scoping and design through to procurement, delivery and completion, safety considerations are continuously tested and evidenced. This has brought greater confidence for residents, but it has also increased the demand for specialist skills, particularly in building safety and engineering.
The sector is responding to this challenge. Competence requirements are becoming more clearly defined, while managing agents are building closer partnerships with qualified building safety engineers and specialist advisors. Building and fire engineering itself continues to mature as a discipline, with greater emphasis on standards, accountability and consistent application of guidance, resulting in more robust and defensible fire strategies.
While this introduces additional complexity, it is also driving better outcomes. Designs are more thoroughly reviewed, risks are more clearly understood, and the delivery of major works projects are more tightly controlled within a safety-first framework.
However, these increased compliance requirements are also contributing to higher delivery costs, particularly in relation to health and safety oversight, specialist consultancy input and assurance processes. This trend is reflected in The Property Institute’s (TPI) latest Service Charge Index, which highlights continued upward pressure on service charge expenditure, driven in part by the growing complexity of building safety and compliance obligations.
For FirstPort, operating within this environment means placing building safety at the centre of every stage of major works delivery. This includes strengthening technical oversight, investing in expertise through our dedicated Safety Assurance team, and working closely with specialist partners to ensure works are delivered safely and in line with evolving regulatory expectations. Just as importantly, it involves maintaining clear communication with residents, so they understand not only what work is being undertaken, but why it is necessary.
Major works today are delivered within a more rigorous and safety-focused framework than ever before. While this brings greater complexity, it also delivers a clear benefit. It means safer buildings and greater assurance for the residents who live in them.
