Today (31 July), the government has announced the appointment of six members to the Fundamental Review of Building Regulations Guidance panel.
The panel is being appointed to support work to deliver on the recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry Phase 2 report, accepted by the government, to review the statutory guidance which accompany the Building Regulations known as Approved Documents.
In December 2024, we announced that the Building Safety Regulator would be leading a fundamental review of the building regulations guidance, to centre on how they are produced, structured and presented. The Fundamental Review of Building Regulations Guidance panel members will support and inform the review and the members each come with extensive experience across a range of sectors.
The panel will provide an interim update in early 2026 and a final report in Summer 2026.
Minister for Building Safety, Alex Norris said
“The appointment of this panel is an important step in our response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Guidance which supports compliance with Building Regulations must be clear, accurate, and practical, and subject to regular updates to ensure it remains effective.
“The work of the panel will support our delivery of 1.5 million new homes, by making compliance easier, improving safety and quality in construction, and ensuring greater confidence in the building safety system. I look forward to receiving the panel’s recommendations.”
Background on the Approved Documents and Building Regulations system
- The Building Regulations set the minimum required standards for building work, referred to as the ‘functional requirements’.
- The Approved Documents contain general guidance on the performance expected of materials and building work, including practical examples of how to achieve compliance in common building situations.
- The Grenfell Tower Inquiry raised concerns about the way that the statutory guidance is expressed. In April 2023, the responsibility for updating and keeping Approved Documents under review was transferred to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep under review the safety and standards of buildings.
- In December 2024, the BSR was commissioned by the government to conduct a fundamental review of the statutory guidance, and the new panel has been appointed to inform this work.
Further information
The establishment of the panel was announced on 31 July 2025.
The Grenfell Tower Phase 2 Inquiry recommended that the statutory guidance be urgently reviewed. On 2 December 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister announced a fundamental review of the statutory guidance to the Building Regulations. This panel will inform that review.
The panel’s role is advisory. The aim is to produce an interim report in early 2026 and a final report by Summer 2026.
Further updates, including the panel’s Terms of Reference, will be published shortly.
Panel members
Dinah Bornat, Architect
Dinah is a renowned advocate for people-centred development. She is the Director & Co-founder of ZCD, a research-led practice based in London who work on residential, community and commercial projects. She has served as a design advocate for the Mayor of London and an adviser to local authorities and developers.
Dan Rossiter, Digital Expert
Dan is the Built Environment Sector Lead at the British Standards Institute, and Vice-President Technical at the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists. He has previously provided his expertise to several national committees relating to information management and technical documentation in the built environment.
Danielle Michalska-Morris, Housebuilder
Danielle is the Director of Research and Technical Innovation at Taylor Wimpey. She brings to the panel her expert knowledge and experience in low carbon building design and building services.
Rachel Ferguson, Planner
Rachel is Senior Development Manager at Pocket Living. She has extensive expertise in affordable housing, and brings her broad experience in planning including strategic masterplans, estate regeneration projects and new build residentials to this panel.
Professor Luke Bisby, Technical Expert
Luke is the Chair of Fire and Structures and Director of Discipline at the University of Edinburgh. He served as an expert witness to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and will bring particular expertise on fire safety to this panel.
Dr Hywel Davies, Technical Expert
Hywel is the former technical Director for the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). He served as the previous chair of DLUHC’s statutory committee, and the Building Regulations Advisory Committee. He brings to this panel his broad expertise on a range of technical areas.
