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Shake-up of building control system
1st July 2008
The building industry, local authorities and home owners will all benefit from a shake-up of the building control system in England and Wales, proposed in March by Housing Minister Caroline Flint to crack down on illegal construction work.
The ‘Future of Building Control’ consultation recommended a more efficient risk-based inspection process for local authorities that focuses on the most dangerous failings. The consultation closed on 10 June.
The consultation paper set out and sought views on government proposals for changes to the building control system in England and Wales.
The changes proposed in the paper are designed to address weaknesses in the current system as identified by users of the system and the building control industry itself. They are intended to both improve compliance with the building regulations and further reduce the burdens associated with the system.
According to the government, good builders who comply with building regulations will be relieved of the burden of unnecessary inspections, while cowboy builders will face tougher scrutiny. A more systematic approach to the review of building regulations will also give the industry more certainty and allow better forward planning.
Housing Minister Caroline Flint said "Home owners have the right to expect their homes to be built and renovated to minimum standards set out in building regulations. I want to make life more difficult for the cowboy builders that are out there whilst letting the high-quality majority of the industry get on with the job. This should reduce the cost and burden of the process on both the industry and local authorities."
The consultation proposed a more efficient building control system delivering sustainable buildings, including:
- Freeing up more time and resources for local authorities to focus on areas of highest risk, by removing statutory notification stages
- Introducing a periodic review of building regulations every three years, which will allow the building industry to forward plan, rather than having to react to the current continual changes
- Protecting home owners from builders who intend to do major projects without proper planning, by restricting the use of building notices
- Increasing powers for local authorities to tackle illegal or botched construction, including extending the existing time limits for enforcement to two years
- The potential use of fixed penalty notices and stop notices
- Raising awareness amongst the public and the industry and providing more help through the system, including a new guide on extensions and conversions, to help builders and homeowners to meet the building regulations
- Improving the link between planning and building control through a seamless planning and building control service.
Full details of the ‘Future of Building Control’ consultation can be found at www.communities.gov.uk. Other proposed building regulations control measures were the subject of an article in the spring issue of Switched On.
