On Tuesday 10th March 2026, the Senedd passed the Building Safety (Wales) Bill — one of the largest pieces of legislation ever considered by the Senedd, taking a major step forward in protecting residents in their homes by putting in place a new safety regime for the occupation phase.

The Bill seeks to ensure that the failures which contributed to the Grenfell disaster can never be repeated in Wales. It establishes a comprehensive new building safety regime for residents of shared buildings across Wales, regardless of building height or tenure. The Bill is broader in scope and ambition than equivalent legislation in England and implements the Welsh Government's commitment to make building safety a guiding principle for how homes and buildings are managed during the occupation phase across the country.

Three core principles underpin the Bill: safety, accountability for those managing buildings and empowering the resident voice.

The Bill is now undergoing a four-week period during which some checks take place, after which the Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent, at which point it becomes an Act of Senedd Cymru.

More information and Welsh Building Regulations implementation

The latest edition of APS’s Project Safety Journal has an article by APS President-Elect Bryn Wilde, detailing the scope and key elements of the Bill, alongside the detail of the various Building Regulations Amendments that will bring specific dutyholding arrangements into effect. While there are many similarities, there are some distinctions with the English building control regime, including a distinct Welsh Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB) definition and different building control authority arrangements for HRBs. The regulations are due to enter into effect on 1st July 2026.

Links to key regulations coming into force on 1st July 2026:

Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025

The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025