On Thursday 30th October, Paul Belfield, Executive Director at Rund, participated in The Association for Rental Living (ARL) roundtable on Building Safety. The roundtable brought together over 30 senior UK real estate investors and lenders for a meaningful conversation with Dame Judith Hackitt, renowned for her report ‘Building a Safer Future’.

Hosted at the office of Willis, a WTW business, the roundtable discussion focused on the challenges and opportunities that have emerged following the Building Safety Act, and in particular, the role of investors in influencing cultural change around building safety and how proactive leadership can transform compliance into competence and regulation into opportunity. 

Paul serves as a Special Advisor to the ARL, with his role specifically focusing on the provision of expert advice concerning Construction, Contractors, and Housebuilders. With support and input from both Dame Judith Hackitt and Brendan Geraghty – the ARL’s CEO - he prepared a briefing report that laid the foundation for the roundtable discussion and summarised it for attendees during the session. This report emphasised the shared objectives of investors and the Building Safety Regulator, expressing the need to reframe building safety not as a cost, but as a driver of value – ultimately securing an asset’s longevity and performance.

We are delighted to say that the roundtable secured positive support for building safety from attendees - particularly around the Building Safety Act and the certainty it can provide on build quality. The need for ongoing action by the Building Safety Regulator was noted as essential during this challenging transition phase to remove uncertainty, improve outcomes, and reduce delays.

Paul commented: “The Investor roundtable and its subsequent report demonstrate positive progress by the BTR sector, led by the ARL, in prioritising building safety across investment, planning, and delivery. Collaboration is essential to achieving improved Gateway process efficiency, ongoing education on the Building Safety Act, and frameworks that promote open dialogue - ultimately ensuring long-term quality, safety, and resilience in the built environment."

The full report of the Investor Roundtable on the Building Safety Act with Dame Judith Hackitt is available to read here.