Following the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower fire, questions of fire safety, and the safety of buildings more generally, have been the key focus for everyone who works in the construction industry. At Brodies, our specialist team of lawyers continue to follow the various legislative and regulatory developments with interest, in what is one of the largest shake-ups to the construction and property industries in a generation.
These changes impact all aspects of the life of a building – from the products which can be used in construction to the responsibilities of building owners once a building is occupied; from the process to get planning approval to who bears liability if something goes wrong.
This page gathers together all of the key legal information you need to know if you are an investor or are involved in the development, design or construction of buildings and provides contact details of our specialist teams who can advise you on any queries which you might have.
Building and fire safety by jurisdiction
There are differences in building and fire safety law between Scotland and England & Wales, see some of our related insights below.
What the law says in Scotland
The majority of the provisions of the Building Safety Act do not apply in Scotland. However, that's not to say the regulations haven’t also been amended to reflect stricter standards. Read the articles below to find out more.
- The Scottish building safety levy – coming in April 2028
- A Scottish Building Safety Levy – A Tax still under Construction
- Building regulations – more buildings caught by strictest standards
- Another step along the “well-trodden path” – Court of Session confirms position on saving provisions to the prescription period
What the law says in England & Wales
The changes brought about by the Building Safety Act and its related secondary legislation have been some of the largest felt by the construction industry in a generation. As the industry adapts to these changes, our team continues to provide thought leadership and commentary on the impact of cases and further legislative changes. Examples of this can be seen below:
- Anticipatory and adjudication BLOs: Crest Nicholson v Ardmore Explained
- Building safety regulator strategic plan 2026-27: key priorities for the year ahead
- When “just and equitable” gets expensive: RCOS after Vista Tower
- Court of Appeal confirms retrospective costs can be included in Remediation Contribution Orders
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