![](https://emergencyservicestimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ESS-Button-resized.png")
The government has announced that the Building Safety Regulator will move from the Health and Safety Executive to become an arms length body of the Ministry of Housing with the recently-retired London Fire Commissioner and his deputy taking up leadership roles to drive the transition.
Andy Roe has just retired from London Fire Brigade after 23 years service, with the last five years in the top role as London Fire Commissioner. He is the first non-executive chair of a new board of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) that will take on the functions of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as part of initial steps towards creating a single construction regulator.
A shadow board will remain in place until the formal process of transitioning to a new arms length body – an Executive Agency of MHCLG – is complete. No date has been confirmed.
The BSR is an independent body established by the Building Safety Act 2022. It regulates the safe design, construction and occupation of higher-risk buildings in England and provides oversight for the safety and standards of all buildings, promoting competence across industry.
Currently part of Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the BSR was established in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, following recommendations in the ‘Building a Safer Future’ report by Dame Judith Hackitt.
The day to day running of the BSR will now falls to a new CEO, Charlie Pugsley, who until his recent move, was one of two deputy commissioners at London Fire Brigade. With a career spent focused on fire investigation and promoted to second in command in March 2024, Charlie also led at a national level on fire investigation and electrical safety.
Last week, the HSE confirmed that Peter White would step down as CEO after two years in the role. He remains at the HSE as Chief Inspector of Buildings. His predecessor Peter Baker was only briefly in the role as the BSR started its work in April 2023.
The government said that the changes taking place at the BSR were the first stages of creating a single construction regulator, a recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report.
Read our review of the new Netflix documentary – Grenfell Uncovered is a powerful telling of an avoidable tragedy.
