Assent Welcomes Industry Expert Colin Blatchford-Brown Back as Building Safety Act Specialist Advisor

Assent is delighted to announce that built environment expert Colin Blatchford-Brown has rejoined the company on a part-time, consultative basis as Building Safety Act (BSA) Specialist Advisor.

Blatchford-Brown was until recently the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Operational Policy Lead for Gateways & Building Control, having spent an earlier part of his career at Assent.

Colin will support Assent in the implementation of key operational changes and new legal duties now incumbent on all Building Control Approved Inspectors, soon to be known as Registered Building Control Approvers (RCBA).

The Building Safety Act (2022), which was introduced following the Grenfell Tower tragedy of 2017, has also bought a new regime to the industry with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) now becoming the building control authority for higher-risk buildings (HRBs) from 1^st October 2023 onwards and for all buildings from 6^th April 2024.

Colin provide support for Assent, including the group’s internal BSA team and Clarke Banks, Assent’s recent acquisition, as they prepare for the implementation of the BSA’s legislation. This includes supporting clients and Assent teams around the country on technical BSA updates and what they mean for the wider industry.

As Assent prepares for the registration of Registered Building Inspectors (RBI) and RBCA, Blatchford-Brown will offer guidance on the process and work with the group’s business development team to identify opportunities for future business growth.

Commenting on his appointment, Colin Blatchford-Brown said: “I’m really pleased to be able to support Assent at this time of change. I look forward to working with all of the teams in the wider group and their clients alike to prepare for the changes that lie ahead with the introduction of the BSR.”

Assent CEO, Iain Thomson, said: “We are delighted to welcome Colin back to Assent after his previous spell working with us.

“As an integral member of the HSE’s Gateways and Building Control unit, he has been pivotal to the development and implementation of the BSA and BSR and his in-depth knowledge of its policy will be a huge benefit to our teams nationally and to all of our customers,” he added.