The future of building control

On 1 September 2009, the Communities and Local Government published Future of Building Control: Implementation Plan. Developed after extensive consultation with the industry, this plan aims to improve the building control system and compliance with the Building Regulations.

The plan covers a range of issues identified as key to improving the existing system, including a new approach to inspections, intended to make it easier for building control providers to target their resources on riskier projects. It also aims to help compliance by providing clearer guidance, and modernising inspection and enforcement.

In addition, the plan gives the first look at the Periodic Review of Building Regulations. This will streamline the Building Regulations updating process, and will make it easier for the construction industry to prepare for change.

Objectives

New objectives have been outlined to reflect the importance of:

• Setting objective and fair building regulations together with guidance and support
• Communicating and raising awareness of the purpose of building regulations and the role of the building control service
• Having a much better understanding of compliance levels.

The aim is that these will show more clearly that the building control service is responsible for the delivery of safe, healthy, accessible and sustainable buildings, rather than simply ensuring that building work complies with building regulations

In addition, there is now increased emphasis on what is meant by 'quality', on the importance of training, and the ways in which building regulations and building control benefit the wider community.

A new procedural handbook, explaining and clarifying the procedures set up by the Building Act 1984, will reinforce this view of building control. It is expected to be published in 2012, after the major changes discussed in the report are in place.

The periodic review process

A new and regular systematic way of reviewing the building regulations is to be introduced, known as the periodic review process. This will provide clear signposting of planned changes, and less frequent and better co-ordinated changes should make it easier for stakeholders to plan and adapt.

Under this process, the technical parts of the regulations will now be reviewed in three-yearly cycles, with revisions in 2010, 2013, 2016 and onwards. The intention is that, unless there are exceptional and unavoidable reasons, none of the parts would be subject to change between these revision points or be reviewed in subsequent cycles. In addition, at each revision point the CLG will outline the reviews that will be carried out for the next revision point.

As part of the periodic review, a 'two-cycle' rule is being introduced. This means that no part will normally be revised more frequently than once every two cycles, or six years. This should provide more regulatory stability and further reduce the overall amount of change. There are currently only two planned exceptions: Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (Ventilation); there is already a commitment to revise both these Parts in 2010, 2013 and 2016, as part of the move towards zero-carbon homes.

Project guides

During the consultation process, there was strong support for the proposal to improve the guidance provided to aid compliance. As well as the application of a consistent style and structure to the Approved Documents, new straightforward project guides will be introduced for smaller projects.

These guides should help builders better understand what is required, and will support building control in their job. The guides should complement the guidance provided in Approved Documents, and building control would be able to accept them as one way of showing compliance with the Building Regulations.

Guides for loft conversions and domestic extensions will be produced as a matter of priority, with the first of these - on loft conversions - due to be published in October.

Approved Documents

It became clear in the consultation process that the Approved Documents are broadly liked and understood, and are felt to be very valuable for many. Both building control and the construction industry more widely were reluctant to see too much change. However, there was broad agreement that the style could be made more consistent across the Approved Documents.

New ways of presenting the Approved Documents will be developed by 2010. These will include the use of standard English to improve clarity, ensuring wherever possible that readers will be able to follow the guidance in the Approved Documents without needing to consult other documents, exploring opportunities to merge some Approved Documents where appropriate, and introducing a style guide.

An important aim of the revised Approved Documents is to make it very clear that they illustrate ways of complying with the functional requirements of the regulations, but these are not necessarily the only ways of complying. It is also hoped that it will be possible to utilise more of the opportunities provided by communications technology to aid the users of the Approved Documents.

Other improvements

Additional improvements will be made in other areas affecting building control. Within inspection and enforcement, a new practical tool will be developed that will guide the building control service through the risk assessment process. The current statutory notification stages will also be replaced with service plans; consultation on this will follow.

An in-depth review of the building notice system is to be undertaken, to improve the efficiency of the system. It's proposed that full plans will be required rather than building notices on a range of domestic project types, such as new housing, extensions and conversions. This will improve consumer protection, free up local authority resources by reducing the need for inspections and on-site design, and ultimately improve compliance.

Related NBS information:

Articles:

• Building Regulations update

Written September 2009

ViewAllArticles

BackToTop