It has been clear through the early stages of the review that there is a general misunderstanding of what the building control system can and can’t control. As such, the consultation lists a number of ways in which it proposes to increase the awareness of building control and what it covers:
The first is a vision statement for what building control should be and more importantly what it should not be, it states:
‘Our vision is for a service which delivers safe, healthy, accessible and sustainable buildings for current and future generations To deliver this vision we need a building control system which:
- Works with the customer to help them achieve a building project which meets their expectations, as well as building standards and the public need
- Works hand-in-hand with other regulators to provide a coherent service to customers
- Ensures that the level of inspection is appropriate to the risk and need
- Gives local authorities the powers needed to enforce building standards
- Ensures all Building Control Bodies regularly assess and improve their performance
- Is professional, well-managed and ensures resources are used appropriately
- Offers end-users an effective means of resolving disputes about compliance. We also need to be clear with customers that building control will not:
- Act as a ‘Clerk of Works’ monitoring every stage of the construction process on site. That is a matter for the contracts and arrangements put in place between the client and builder. Ultimately, compliance is clearly the responsibility of the person carrying out the work
- Address issues such as the finish and aesthetics of the final project where these are not Building Regulations standards – these are a matter for designers, builders, and new home warranty providers
- Offer protection to a client in a contract with a builder. This is a matter of contract law.
I took part in the workshops to establish this statement, and I think this is a really good place to start, clearly setting the boundaries of what should, and should not be covered – do you agree?
Other measures in this area include:
- The reintroduction of a manual to the building control system giving explainations of how the system works
- Measures to reconnect with the end users of buildings not just the developers and builders
- Promoting a seamless Planning and Building Control System – examining ways in which local authority departments can work more closely to ensure that the two regimes do not conflict in their requirements.
