The proposed new building safety regulator being set up in the wake of the failings uncovered after the Grenfell Tower fire is not likely to be up and running until 2021, the woman chairing the transition process has admitted.

But Judith Hackitt, who authored the post-Grenfell review into fire safety regulations and was last month appointed to chair the board that will oversee the move from the current system to a shadow regulator, said the scope of projects covered by the regulator was likely to be wider than originally envisaged.

Speaking at conference in Birmingham yesterday for the construction products industry, Hackitt said legislation underpinning the formation of the new regulator will not make it on to the statute books until next year.

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