BUILDING REGULATIONS REFORM PROPOSALS
requirements (see News on page 6 of this edition). Under the consultation proposal, when
the habitable area of a house is increased, by extending the building or by converting a loft space or integral or adjoining garage, then there will also be a requirement to consider upgrading the energy efficiency of the whole dwelling. And when replacing windows there will also be a requirement for consequential improvements. Given that these are generally premeditated and planned activities, both in terms of the works involved and associated disruption, and the financial aspects, the case for these is easy to understand. They are not a cost on housebuilders, and where they are imposed on businesses in the non-residential buildings sector, business derives the benefits. The impact assessments indicate that these measures could potentially deliver savings of 130 MtCO2 over the life of the policy. Compared with the 15 MtCO2 to be gained from the measures for all new buildings, this is a significant saving, if it can be achieved.
Electrical works Section three outlines proposed changes to Part P, which was introduced in 2005 for domestic electrical works, to improve the competence of domestic electrical installers and the quality of electrical installation work in dwellings, and to reduce the number of accidents due to electric shocks and electrical fires in homes. Major electrical jobs in homes are notifiable and must be overseen by a building control body or carried out by an electrician registered with a Part P Competent Person Scheme. Since 2005 the number of registered electricians has increased from 11,000 to nearly 40,000, and registered electricians now undertake nearly all ‘notifiable jobs’ that are notified (there is no robust data to indicate how many notifiable jobs are just carried out without being notified. DCLG is proposing changes to AD P to
reduce regulatory burdens by extending the range of simpler, non-notifiable jobs that do not require inspection, including those in kitchens and gardens, and by allowing householders and unregistered installers to employ a qualified electrician to inspect and test notifiable work as an alternative to using the local authority, (should electricians wish to undertake such work and responsibility). These changes
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would deliver a deregulatory ‘out’ of £9.7m per year. It is also proposed to update the reference to the wiring regulations in AD P to the current version of BS 7671.
Building control Finally, section four addresses Building Control, and aims to ‘reduce burdens, improve compliance, encourage industry to take greater responsibility for their actions and to level the playing field between building control bodies’. It proposes to extend the time allowed for prosecutions under the Building Regulations to two years, introduce civil sanctions and improve the building control process. Issue of completion certificates within a specified time will be mandatory where building work is completed and considered compliant, and the wording on completion certificates and their equivalents will be amended. It is also proposed to reduce the number of statutory notifications and introduce a requirement for ‘service plans’ based on an assessment of the risk for a particular project. There are proposals to increase the alternatives to supervision by Building Control by extending the competent person self-certification schemes, introducing specialist third party certification schemes and considering the introduction of the ‘Appointed Persons’ created by the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act. These are all potentially relevant to CIBSE members, as they will either change the relationships with Building Control, or, possibly, provide new opportunities to provide elements of the building control process for clients. CJ
l HYWEL DAVIES is technical director of CIBSE
The consultation includes proposals to apply ‘consequential improvements’ requirements to dwellings in 2013 – although at the time of writing this is in doubt (see News on page 6 of this edition)
TIMETABLE FOR CHANGE
DCLG is proposing that the changes should come into force as follows:
lDomestic consequential improvements for extensions (including loft and garage conversions which increase the habitable area) coming into force in October 2012
lDeregulatory changes – April 2013
lRegulatory changes, including Part L coming into force in October 2013 (with the aim being to publish revised Regulations and Guidance documents in April 2013)
lRemaining consequential improvements to come into force in April 2014
Finding the consultation documents:
lThese are still available on the DCLG website along with the impact assessments and supporting research. Visit:
www.communities.gov.uk/ planningandbuilding/buildingregulations/ buildingregulationschanges
May 2012 CIBSE Journal 37
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