INDUSTRY UPDATE NEWS
Building Safety Levy delayed until 2026 T he government has announced a 12-month delay to the implementation of the Building Safety Levy in England, pushing its introduction from autumn 2025 to autumn 2026. The levy is part of a £3 billion plan to fund the remediation of unsafe cladding and fire safety defects, and will apply to developers submitting building control applications for residential buildings over 11 metres. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the delay would provide time for local authorities, the Building Safety Regulator and building control professionals to prepare, while allowing developers to factor the levy into current project planning. The government has now published the full schedule of levy rates across England. Rates for non-previously developed land are around double those for previously developed sites. For example, developers in Westminster face a charge of £98.01 per square metre for greenfield developments, compared to £6.35 per square metre in County Durham for brownfield sites.
Scotland’s national building data hub A new report from the Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) has laid the groundwork for a National Existing Buildings Database to accelerate retrofitting in Scotland.
Robert Gordon University, explained: “A central database or digital twin which brings together vital building data will help local authorities, landlords, and the public make informed decisions… It will evolve over time, strengthening Scotland’s readiness for net zero.” John McKinney, Co-chair of the CLF Data Working Group, added: “To meet Scotland’s net zero targets, we must understand what is going on with our buildings so we can take the right retrofit measures and cut emissions.” Gavin Johnston of BE-ST confirmed that 10 research work packages are now in place to guide the development of the database, ensuring it becomes a valuable tool for decarbonisation across Scotland’s housing stock. Scan the QR code for the full report.
Produced in partnership with Robert Gordon University and Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), the report identifies the current state of building data across the country, highlighting inconsistencies, data gaps, and a need for greater cybersecurity. The database, once live, will act as a single access point for accurate, real-time building information—helping local authorities and building owners to make better decisions on retrofit and energy efficiency investments. Dr Jonathan Scott, Course Leader of Architectural Technology at
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