Alex Norris MP Appointed New Minister for Building Safety

Following Rushanara Ali’s resignation, Alex Norris MP has been appointed as the new Minister for Building Safety.

In addition to his current portfolio as Minister for Local Growth, Norris will oversee:

• Building safety, regulations, the Building Safety Regulator, and remediation
• The Grenfell Inquiry response
• Grenfell Community, Tower, and Memorial

Norris has represented Nottingham North in Parliament since 2017 and now, following boundary changes, serves as Labour’s MP for Nottingham North and Kimberley. His prior roles include Shadow Ministerial positions for Public Health and Patient Safety, Levelling Up, and Policing.

Recently (September 2024), Norris emphasised the urgent need for improved building safety during a debate, stating:

“Too many building owners are still not acting quickly enough, so we will investigate, pursue the most egregious actors who are creating unacceptable delays, and hold them to account. The message from this Dispatch Box and from this Government is clear: “Use the routes we have created to get your buildings fixed and get on with it.”

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TPI welcomes Alex Norris to the role of Minister for Building Safety

Currently 4,821 residential buildings in England of 11 metres or more in height have been identified with unsafe cladding. Recent data shows that only 50 per cent of these buildings have started or completed remediation works, leaving an estimated 300,000 residents living in unsafe buildings. The struggle over who should bear the costs and responsibilities of making these buildings safe continues to overshadow the urgent need for action.

TPI is calling on the new Minister for Building Safety to make a commitment to proactive, tangible measures that prioritise safety above all else and ensure unsafe buildings are fully remediated as a priority, and residents are protected from unnecessary costs, by:

Removing legal and procedural barriers that delay critical building safety repairs and put residents’ safety at risk. Revisiting proposed amendments from the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act to the Building Safety Act, ensuring leaseholders are shielded from the financial burden of building safety repairs. Collaborating with industry to evaluate the practical application of the Building Safety Act, seeking opportunities to streamline processes and reduce costs for leaseholders.

Andrew Bulmer, CEO of The Property Institute said:

“We welcome Alex Norris to his role as Minister for Building Safety and look forward to working with him to improve building safety across the country.

“Although progress has been made, remediation work has been frustratingly slow, leaving too many residents trapped with a home they cannot sell and facing bills for safety defects they didn’t create.  Having investigated the delays and issues on the ground – which our members are grappling with every day – we have identified measures that can help remove the bureaucratic obstacles, improve the current process to speed up remediation and ensure all building fire and structural safety issues are resolved to bring peace of mind to residents.

“We are writing to the Minister outlining three clear steps that we believe are vital to ensure that routes to remediation are less restrictive, delays are reduced, and residents can live safely in their homes, without spiralling costs.”