Review statutory guidance and Approved Document B
Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · Issued 4 September 2024 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
That the statutory guidance generally, and Approved Document B in particular, be reviewed accordingly and a revised version published as soon as possible. (113.11)
Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · 4 Sep 2024 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The government's annual report stated a six-member expert panel was appointed on 31 July 2025 to guide the BSR-led review, with interim findings published in summer 2025 and comprehensive recommendations expected in 2026 (Annual Report on Progress, MHCLG, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government — initial response
The government accepts this recommendation. The Building Safety Regulator is undertaking a review of how statutory guidance, currently offered in the form of Approved Documents, might best be structured, updated and presented in order to provide accurate, up to date and coherent guidance to support designers in demonstrating compliance with the building regulations. Interim findings will be published by summer 2025 and a full list of recommendations will be published in 2026. The guidance in Approved Document B has been updated several times since 2017 to make it clearer and to improve fire safety standards. The government has committed to keep Approved Document B under continuous review, and the Building Safety Regulator will consult on further changes in autumn 2025.
UK Government · 16 Jan 2025 Written response →
●UK Government — follow-up
The government accepts this recommendation. The Building Safety Regulator is undertaking a review of how statutory guidance, currently offered in the form of Approved Documents, might best be structured, updated and presented in order to provide accurate, up to date and coherent guidance to support designers in demonstrating compliance with the building regulations. Interim findings will be published by summer 2025 and a full list of recommendations will be published in 2026. The guidance in Approved Document B has been updated several times since 2017 to make it clearer and to improve fire safety standards. The government has committed to keep Approved Document B under continuous review, and the Building Safety Regulator will consult on further changes in autumn 2025.
UK Government · 26 Feb 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 1 Feb 2026 Statutory guidance review underway examining Approved Documents structure and presentation. Interim findings published summer 2025; comprehensive recommendations expected 2026. Approved Document B updated multiple times since 2017 with consultation on further changes planned autumn 2025. Six-member expert panel appointed 31 July 2025 guiding BSR-led review of Building Regulations guidance suite. (Covers Recommendations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12.) Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.