A fire left a flat at Centenary Plaza, Southampton, empty and uninhabitable. Before anyone assumed a full Building Safety Regulator application, Sedgwick asked Payte a sharper question: does this repair actually need one?
The challenge
Sedgwick, the international claims and risk services provider, first appointed Payte on a project in London. Its second instruction is a fire-damaged flat in a registered higher-risk building in Southampton.
Every week the flat stays empty, the resident is out of their home and the cost of the claim grows. In a higher-risk building, most building work needs approval from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before it starts. The BSR can take up to 8 weeks to assess an application for an existing building, and longer if information is missing.
But not every job needs a full application. Work made up only of exempt work or competent person scheme work can go ahead without one, provided the scheme covers higher-risk buildings. The risk is defaulting to a full Gateway submission when a faster compliant route exists.
Our approach
Teddy Laurence is leading a desktop BSR opinion: a review of the proposed reinstatement works against the regulations before anything is committed. A detailed site walk-around follows. The review tests three questions:
- Which items are exempt, such as like-for-like repairs and replacements?
- Which can be carried out by installers registered with a competent person scheme that covers higher-risk buildings?
- Does anything trigger a full application, such as changes to fire-resisting construction, the layout or fire safety systems?
Payte is working with Sedgwick’s professional team and specialist consultants to settle the right route before the works proceed.
What Sedgwick gains
A clear answer on the route, early. If a competent-person route fits, the works can start without waiting for BSR approval. The resident can return home sooner and Sedgwick can reduce its losses, with competence, documentation and compliance still properly controlled. If a full application is needed, it is prepared right first time.
From our founder
Founder Simon Baker sees the appointment as part of a growing relationship with institutional clients. They increasingly want specialist architectural advice combined with practical Building Safety Act expertise.
He contrasts it with another current Payte project on Davies Street, Mayfair. There, layout changes to create an open-plan kitchen and a new en-suite put the work firmly into a full BSR application. Southampton may not need one. Knowing which is which, early, is the point.
Why this matters for insurers and loss adjusters
Fire claims in higher-risk buildings are under more regulatory scrutiny than ever. Assuming every repair needs a full Gateway submission can add months to a claim. Testing the route first can avoid that delay without cutting corners.
Managing a claim in a higher-risk building?
Payte’s desktop BSR opinion gives insurers, loss adjusters and managing agents a quick, evidenced view of the right route before works are committed. Get in touch to discuss a claim.
