The government’s housing accelerator Homes England has emphasised its support for Building a Safer Future (BSF) by encouraging its Delivery Partners to embark on the BSF Champion assessment process.
Housebuilders and organisations who undertake Residential Development can apply to join the Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). Successful organisations will become members of the DPS and will then be invited to tender to develop specific Homes England sites or invited to tender to develop sites owned by other public sector bodies (OPSB) who may choose to procure a housing developer through the Delivery Partner DPS. The DPS was launched in 2021 and is valued at £20bn.
Most of Homes England’s Delivery Partners are already engaged with BSF at the entry level of registered signatory status, however in an email sent to all companies on the DPS on 25th April 2023, Will Adie, Head of Building Safety, expressed a wish for many more to take the next step and commit to a journey of continuous improvement in building safety by registering to start the Champion assessment.
The Champion process gives companies detailed insight into their existing leadership and culture around building safety and equips them with actionable data and practical tools to help review and upgrade processes, driving meaningful and measurable improvement in leadership and culture around building safety, and in doing so, help rebuild public trust.
Homes England cited case studies provided by leading UK housebuilders, detailing their experiences of the processes and the benefits they have reaped as a result. Barratt Developments, Hill Holdings Ltd and Persimmon Homes Ltd are both Homes England Delivery Partners and among the first organisations to have achieved the status of Building a Safer Future Champion.
Gary Townsend-Vila, Interim Chief Executive at Building a Safer Future, commented:
“It’s been fantastic to see some of the leading names in UK housebuilding committing themselves to their building safety improvement journeys, and as part of that, embarking on the BSF Champion assessment. It was an honour to see the first tranche of completers be awarded Building a Safer Future Champion status at the end of March, and we hope that their achievements will inspire many more companies to take their own vital steps in putting building safety first. We thank Homes England for their support and we hope their endorsement will encourage more of their Delivery Partners to register for the process.”
Will Adie, Head of Building Safety at Homes England, commented:
“Supporting the Building a Safer Future Charter has been a policy objective of Homes England since 2020 when the agency reviewed its role within Building Safety and the necessary culture change, as identified in the Hackitt Review. The Charter provides pathway-based solutions for companies, of all sizes and types, in the development supply chain, looking to reduce their risk profile and aiming to be seen as leaders in building safety.”
Companies can apply to participate in the BSF Champions programme by visiting the Building a Safer Future website on www.buildingasaferfuture.org.uk and completing the application form*, or alternatively emailing alexander.caller@buildingasaferfuture.org.uk