Arcus Global has launched a software module to help councils calculate, collect and report the Building Safety Levy ahead of its introduction on 1 October.
The levy will apply to qualifying new residential developments in England and is intended to raise £3.4bn over approximately 10 years towards the remediation of historic building safety defects.
Local authorities will collect the charge through the building control process, including for higher-risk buildings where building control approval is handled by the Building Safety Regulator.
Ten councils are implementing the Arcus module ahead of the levy taking effect, with the first national returns expected in January 2027.
REDUCED ADMIN
Created in line with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government guidance, the module generates a levy record directly from a building control application.
It calculates the amount payable using the development’s floorspace and local charging rate, while applying relevant exemptions and discounts. Previously developed land attracts a rate 50% lower than equivalent greenfield development.
The system also produces documents and prepares information for submission to central government, reducing the need for manual calculations and duplicate data entry.
Arcus says the 10 authorities currently introducing the module had funded the work using government support provided for the additional administrative burden.
WORKING SOLUTION
Denis Kaminskiy, Co-founder and CEO of Arcus Global, says: “Councils are being handed a brand-new statutory duty on a punishing timescale. We chose not to wait. Working with MHCLG and the building control community, we had a working solution ready months before the deadline, not bolted together at the last minute.
“Policy is changing faster than ever, and suppliers have a responsibility to keep pace and take pressure off local government, not add to it. We are proud to be among the first ready with a full solution, and prouder still that councils are already meeting their obligations ahead of the curve.”
The cloud-based module forms part of Arcus Global’s wider planning, building control, land charges and regulatory services platform. Councils already using its core system will be able to add the levy functionality to their existing workflows.
Government guidance confirms that the levy applies to eligible building control applications submitted from 1 October 2026, subject to exemptions. Applications submitted before that date will generally remain outside the regime. Full details are available in the official Building Safety Levy guidance.
