OPINION Dr Pike called for radical reform:
‘this is not a broken system that has to be fixed: it is a corrupted edifice that must be razed to the ground and rebuilt,’ he declared. It is now clear that competition does not drive exam standards up; on the contrary, it undermines standards. In our industry this is a live issue when it comes to the local authority Building Control service. For some two decades there has
been competition in the provision of this service. The local district surveyor competes with approved inspectors for responsibility for confirming that works meet the Building Regulations. Clients can choose to use an approved inspector or the local authority. The choice will be influenced by money and a perception of how tough the inspector will be. When deciding which of the competing building-control bodies to buy their inspection services from, developers have one eye on the cost of working with the inspector. They may be less likely to choose the body that does the most rigorous inspections, and
might insist on full compliance with a specific regulation that others disregard, but instead use the inspector most likely to help them claim compliance. What incentives does that create?
Does it promote firm and fair enforcement, without fear of losing work if an inspector suggests that work does not comply? Does it encourage inspectors to ensure that clients are fully aware of changes to the regulations, and comply with them in a timely way? Would Dr Pike call for a fix, or rebuilding? And what would he make of
Regulation 47? This regulation says that ‘contravention of certain regulations [is] not to be an offence’. That is, if you do not give various notices to the building-control body, there is no enforcement power available to the building inspector. That is actually what our current Building Regulations say. It is like adding a new law for Rugby Union that says that even if the scrum feed is crooked, the ref cannot whistle! A consultation on the latest round of changes to Building Regulations is due
We need a dispassionate debate about how effectively market provision of building control delivers compliance with Building Regulations
shortly (see panel). Let us hope that it addresses this Regulation in particular. The building-control system faces the same pressure to race to the bottom as the exam boards. Perhaps we need a dispassionate debate about how effectively market provision of building control delivers compliance with Building Regulations. And whether perhaps there could be a better way to ensure that our buildings meet the regulations and deliver healthy, safe, and energy efficient buildings – a reasonable trio of objectives for our built environment, surely? Perhaps the forthcoming consultation on the 2013 revisions to the Building Regulations might start the debate. Email your comments to
cbreslin@cibse.org
l Hywel Davies is technical director of CIBSE.
www.cibse.org
As CIBSE Journal went to press, the government consultation on the proposed 2013 changes to the Building Regulations was expected to appear early in the new year. This column will be reporting on the proposals, and CIBSE will be organising events to explain them and prepare a CIBSE response to the consultation.
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www.andrewswaterheaters.co.uk January 2012 CIBSE Journal 23
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