Navigating the New Era: The Crucial Role of the Principal Designer (Building Regulations) in England

Navigating the New Era: The Crucial Role of the Principal Designer (Building Regulations) in England

The landscape of building safety and compliance in England has been significantly reshaped by recent legislative changes. At the heart of this shift lies a vital new duty holder role: the Principal Designer (Building Regulations).

This role is central to ensuring that design work meets all relevant legal and safety standards. In this blog, we unpack what the role is, its legal foundation, scope, and the responsibilities that come with it.

Legislative Foundation and Trigger

The Principal Designer (Building Regulations) role is not optional — it is a mandatory requirement under the Building Act 1984 (as amended by the Building Safety Act 2022) and the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended in 2023).

When is the role required?

The appointment is triggered for all projects where more than one designer is involved. This includes both domestic and non-domestic projects and applies to all building work that falls under the Building Regulations, including Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs).

It’s important to note that this role exists alongside the Principal Designer role under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM PD). While the two roles share similarities, they focus on different aspects of compliance.

Scope and Core Duties: Ensuring Compliance

The Principal Designer (Building Regulations) is formally appointed by the client and has a broad responsibility to ensure that design work complies with all parts of the Building Regulations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Planning, managing, and monitoring design work to align with Building Regulations requirements
• Coordinating design decisions and challenging any work that may breach regulations
• Collaborating with other duty holders, including the client, Principal Contractor, CDM Principal Designer, and other designers
• Communicating and sharing relevant design information throughout the project
• Liaising with the Principal Contractor to ensure that both the design and construction phases meet all safety and compliance standards

This compliance spans critical areas such as:

• Structural safety
• Fire safety
• Energy efficiency
• Accessibility
• Building services and materials

Defining “Designer” and “Design”

Understanding who qualifies as a designer and what constitutes a design is essential for compliance.

Designer:
Any person (including clients or contractors) who, in the course of business, prepares or modifies a design, or arranges for someone under their control to do so.

Design:
Covers far more than drawings. It includes:

• Drawings, design details, specifications, and calculations
• Decisions about construction methods, materials, and dimensions
• Digital and physical designs, including BIM models and 3D simulations

Essential Competence Requirements

The Principal Designer role requires a high level of competence, as outlined in standards such as PAS 8671, covering Skills, Knowledge, Experience, and Behaviour (SKEB).

Competency Area	Requirement
Knowledge	Deep understanding of Building Regulations, safety standards, and compliance frameworks (especially structural and fire safety).
Skills	Technical expertise to coordinate design and manage compliance.
Experience	Demonstrated ability to manage building safety risks and regulatory design processes.
Behaviour	Professional conduct, accountability, and proactive collaboration.

For Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), enhanced competencies are required, including advanced behavioural and technical expertise for compliance management.

If an organisation is appointed as the Principal Designer, they must designate an individual within that organisation who meets the SKEB requirements.

Collaboration with the CDM Principal Designer

Many projects now involve two Principal Designers — one under the Building Regulations and one under CDM 2015.

Close coordination between these roles is essential for comprehensive risk management. This collaboration ensures:

• A unified approach to both building safety and health & safety compliance
• Alignment of design and construction risk registers
• Smooth communication between design, planning, and construction teams

Documentation and Handover Duties

The Principal Designer’s responsibilities continue even after design work is complete. They are responsible for producing and maintaining key compliance documentation.

Their duties include:

• Ensuring all compliance information is prepared and handed over to the client and relevant parties
• Providing a document within 28 days of their appointment ending, explaining how their duties were fulfilled
• Supplying evidence to the Building Safety Regulator, particularly for HRBs
• Reviewing the arrangements of any previous Principal Designer to confirm ongoing compliance when taking over a project

A New Standard for Building Compliance

The introduction of the Principal Designer (Building Regulations) represents a major step forward in how England manages design safety and regulatory compliance.

By embedding safety accountability into the design process, this role promotes a stronger culture of competence, communication, and transparency — setting a new benchmark for responsibility in the UK construction industry.