Building Safety: Cross Sector Forum minutes - May 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS)

• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA)

• Historic Environment Scotland (HES)

• Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE)

• Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE)

• Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS)

• NHS Scotland Assure

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

• Scottish Association of University Directors of Estates (SAUDE)

• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)

• Scottish Funding Council (SFC)

• Scottish Futures Trust (SFT)

• Scottish Government officials (including Chair)

• Scottish Heads of Property Services (SHoPS)

• Scottish Property Federation (SPF)

• Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SoLACE)

Items and actions

Welcome

The Chair welcomed attendees to the first meeting of the proposed Cross Sector Building Safety Forum, noting its origins in the SG-led RAAC Cross Sector Working Group (CSWG).

Aims and objectives of the Building Safety: Cross Sector Forum

An outline was provided of the purpose of the proposed Forum with an emphasis placed on information sharing and collaboration across multiple sectors. It was also noted that the Forum, as with the RAAC Cross Sector Working Group, would report to the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety.  

However, whereas the CSWG focussed solely on RAAC, the Forum’s remit would be considerably broader to include consideration of a range of current building safety issues (as determined by members) as well as seeking to identify emerging issues.  

In defining the Forum’s aims and objectives the potential for duplication with other networks was noted with the intention that this should be avoided as far as possible.

It was hoped that the Forum would operate with a degree of independence from the Scottish Government (although Building Standards Division officials would provide a secretariat function) with members taking the lead on matters such as agenda setting and establishing ad hoc sub-groups for the purposes of consideration of particular topics of interest or concern.

Members’ introductions

Attendees were invited to introduce themselves and comment on the proposed Forum. Observations reflected the value of the CSWG; acknowledged the importance of continuing conversations on matters of building safety; raising awareness of current and future issues; of sharing knowledge and best practice; supporting consistency of approach across sector interests, and consideration of remediation strategies.

Draft terms of reference for comment and agreement     

Attendees considered the draft Terms of Reference (ToR) and agreed it was important that the aims and objectives were limited in intent with a focus on building safety and maintenance issues (rather than operational matters) and did not encourage an unrealistic breadth of discussion topics.

Action – comments on the draft Terms of Reference were requested by the end of May.

Action – attendees to identify other organisations or representative networks considering issues relating to building safety to support a stakeholder mapping exercise and prevent duplication of purpose.  

Topics for future meetings

Attendees were invited to suggest current or emerging issues which might be of value to discuss at future meetings. Suggestions included:

• damp and mould
• failing mortar in walls
• unintended consequences of retrofitting
• large panel systems

It was also suggested that future agendas could contain certain standing items such as an overview or update of current issues.

Action – suggestions for discussion topics invited on an ongoing basis.

Next meeting

The date of the next meeting would be confirmed in due course.

Any other business

No issues were raised.