The government has announced a £70 million funding package to address critical shortages of building inspectors and fire engineers. The three-year programme aims to strengthen the building control workforce and help deliver 1.5 million new homes, while also implementing recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Funding targets fire safety and building control gaps
Of the total investment, £55 million has been allocated to building control and £15 million to fire engineering. The funding will support local authorities in England to recruit and train new Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), with the number of qualified inspectors expected to increase by up to 700.
Many of these inspectors will be trained to Class 3H level, enabling them to assess High-Risk Buildings – a critical gap identified in post-Grenfell reforms. Support will also be provided for new entrants working with both Registered Building Control Approvers and local authorities.
In fire engineering, the funding will focus on expanding higher education provision through postgraduate bursaries and increased investment in research and academic development.
Skills shortages constrain housing pipeline
The programme follows recommendations from the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, which called for greater capacity in building control and fire engineering. Both the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel and the Building Control Independent Panel have highlighted the need for more highly trained professionals in safety-critical roles.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s coverage of new fire safety rules requiring dual evacuation lifts in high-rises. The government has also set tough targets to remediate unsafe buildings by 2029, adding pressure on an already stretched workforce.
Samantha Dixon, Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy, said: “We are boosting the building safety workforce to get more skilled building inspectors and fire engineers into the system quickly to keep people safe and unlock the new homes this country needs.
“This is a vital step in building 1.5 million safe homes and ensuring we continue to deliver on lessons from the Grenfell Tower tragedy.”
What this means for landlords
- If you own a High-Risk Building: Expect more inspections as the RBI workforce expands – ensure all building safety documentation is up to date.
- Planning permissions: Building control delays have contributed to housing supply constraints. More inspectors should eventually ease planning bottlenecks.
- Fire safety compliance: The expanded fire engineering workforce will increase scrutiny of fire risk assessments and remediation work.
- Watch for: Details on how organisations can apply for funding, expected in the coming months.
- Bottom line: This investment signals the government is serious about post-Grenfell reforms – landlords with properties subject to building safety regulations should prepare for closer oversight.
Editor’s view
The £70 million investment is a belated acknowledgment that post-Grenfell building safety reforms have been hamstrung by the very workforce shortages they created demand for. For landlords, the practical impact will take years to materialise – but the direction of travel is clear: more inspectors, more scrutiny, and higher expectations.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 31 March 2026
Sources: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Related reading: New high-rises to require dual evacuation lifts under fire safety rules
