Building Safety Forum 2025 unites industry to spark lasting change

INDUSTRY leaders came together in April at Ironmonger’s Hall in London for Miller Knight’s Building Safety Forum 2025 – a landmark event driving forward the conversation on regulation, responsibility and reform in the built environment.

L-R: senior executive director at TFT, Alan Pemberton, investment manager at RPMI Railpen, Julian Allport, Dame Judith Hackitt, director at BB7, James Groves, and managing director at Miller Knight, Matthew Flower

Hosted by the remediation contractor in partnership with TFT and BB7, the forum brought together experts, regulators and property professionals to examine the pressing challenges facing the construction and fire safety sectors.

Chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, the event shone a spotlight on the cultural and regulatory shifts still required to meet the ambitions set out in her ‘Building a Safer Future’ report.

In her keynote, Dame Judith reiterated the need for “a long-term mindset” and challenged professionals to take ownership at every level, from construction to facilities management.

“We are only just beginning to uncover the challenges posed by the new regulatory system – especially during the occupation phase,” she said. “But reform is not optional. Responsibility rests with all of us to be intelligent, informed and proactive in making the right safety decisions for the buildings we create and manage.”

A standout moment came as Dame Judith revealed that the Building Control Review Panel, which she now chairs, will issue its recommendations by the end of 2025. The review is exploring whether building control functions should only be performed by those free from commercial interest – a move set to reshape the industry’s current dual-path system.

Speaking about the green paper on construction product regulation, Dame Judith urged delegates to get involved: “Unless we get this fixed, we’re still standing on thin ice. We need better product assurance, better testing, and we need to be bold enough to demand it.”

The event featured a packed agenda including panel discussions with leading safety consultants, fire engineers and asset managers. Delegates shared real-world challenges, from poor record-keeping to inconsistent product data, and called for better collaboration across the supply chain.

Attendee Dominic Smith, head of CDM services at TFT, commented: “This forum is rare in the sense that it brings the full industry together – from fire engineers to construction clients – with a shared purpose. We have over 70 higher-risk buildings in our portfolio, and events like this help us stay ahead of change and do the right thing by our residents.”

In closing the event, Matthew Flower, managing director at Miller Knight, said: “This forum is about more than compliance – it’s about collective responsibility. We’re here to lead by example, push for real change and help others do the same. From contractors and consultants to building owners, everyone has a part to play in building a safer future. This is only the beginning.”