This delivers on a Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendation, accepted by the Government, to set up a panel to carry out a review of whether to change the way in which building control is delivered in England.

The panel will be chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt, whose leadership of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety has already helped to shape vital reforms across the sector.

An engineer by profession, Dame Judith currently serves as an adviser on building standards to both the UK and Australian Governments and is a member of the International Building Quality Council (IBQC).  She will be joined by four experts with extensive experience in the regulation and use of the building control sector: Elaine Bailey, Ken Rivers, Rt Hon Nick Raynsford and Dr David Snowball.

The panel members’ collective expertise will support a thorough and independent review of the current building control model, including on the Inquiry’s recommendations to consider the issue of commercial incentives from the system and exploring alternative options and approaches. The panel is expected to provide a report to the government this autumn.

The Chair for the Building Control Independent Panel, Dame Judith Hackitt said:

“The panel stands ready to get to work on this important review.  We will work at speed but we come at this issue with an open mind and a determination to further raise standards”.

About the panel.  Would be good to include photos if we can.

Elaine Bailey: Elaine’s background is in the Prison Service and Serco.  She moved to The Hyde Group, a social housing group as Chief Executive in 2014, a role she held for five years.  The Hyde Group are recognised as having responded early and positively to the emerging findings of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.  Elaine holds several non-executive directorships, including at MJ Gleeson plc, a house builder operating in the North and Midlands; McCarthy & Stone Shared Ownership (MCSSO), a For-Profit Registered Provider of older persons’ housing with a strategic partnership with Homes England; and Andium Housing, Jersey’s largest provider of sub-market value homes for rent and purchase.

Ken Rivers: Ken is a non-executive director at the HSE, alongside his role as a member of the Industrial Safety Steering Group. Prior to that he chaired the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations Strategic Forum and led the tripartite group since its inception, bringing industry and regulators together to identify and address important matters of managing major hazard in the UK. He spent 38 years of his career working at Shell, through various different positions and was President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP: Nick Raynsford was a Labour MP for 24 years. During this time he held positions as Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Minister for Construction, Minister for London and Minister of State for Local and Regional Government. The latter included responsibility for the Fire and Rescue Service. Since then he has had a number of advisory and non-executive roles in the private, voluntary and public sectors. This included chairing CICAIR (CIC Approved Inspectors Register), the organisation responsible until April 2024 for registering private sector Building Control bodies. Nick is a member of the New Towns Taskforce, working with MHCLG.

Dr. David Snowball: David spent his working career in the Health and Safety Executive, joining as a Factory Inspector in 1984 and retiring 35 years later. He held senior posts in operational divisions overseeing HSE intervention and enforcement and was also responsible, as Director Regulation, for the quality of operational work. He spent 15 months as Acting Chief Executive before his retirement. He now sits on the Industry Safety Steering Group alongside Dame Judith and is a non-executive director at the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority (Feb 2022- present).

www.gov.uk/government/news/membership-of-the-building-control-independent-panel