The House of Lords has launched an inquiry into complaints about construction delays caused by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).

Contractors have been up-in-arms for months over backlogs in the approval process for new high rise building projects.

The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee has issued a call for evidence with the first hearing due next week.

The committee said it is seeking evidence from “building industry specialists, housing associations, architects, resident groups, safety experts, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders.”

Developers and contractors will also be keen to have their say.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Chair of the Industry and Regulators Committee, said: “The Committee wants to hear from all stakeholders to find out if the BSR has the skills and resources required to ensure the safety of all buildings and its residents in the process of approving applications for high-rise buildings.

“This is crucial if the Government is going to achieve its manifesto target of building 1.5 million homes over the next Parliament.”