All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment

[edit] Overview

All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs or APGs) are informal cross-party parliamentary groups run by and for Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They may involve individuals and organisations from outside Parliament.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment (APPGBE) was formed in July 2010 to promote excellence in the built environment.

Secretariat services are provided to the group by the Construction Industry Council (CIC), a not-for-profit forum for professional bodies, research organisations and specialist business associations in the construction industry. Group information and publications are made available on the CIC website.

CIC suggest that the primary remit of the APPG for the Excellence in the Built Environment is to '…present a holistic and overarching view from all sectors involved in the planning, design, construction, management and maintenance of the built environment.'

It works closely with other built environment APPG's, investigates current issues relating to the built environment and engages parliamentarians and other commentators in considering how major strategic issues such as architecture and planning, climate change, infrastructure, building, highway maintenance and gas safety affect the built environment.

The group is chaired (2014) by Oliver Colvile MP, with Rt Hon Maria Miller MP, Helen Hayes MP and Earl of Lytton acting as Vice- Chairs.

It has published reports including:

• Living with water; a report from the Commission of Inquiry into flood resilience of the future. 2015
• Re-energising the green agenda: looking at how to meet carbon reduction targets and the need to re-energise the approach to sustainable construction. 2013
• A better deal for public building: setting out measures for improving construction procurement. 2012

[edit] Updates

[edit] 2016

In July 2016, the Group published More homes, fewer complaints, Report from the Commission of Inquiry into the quality and workmanship of new housing in England. The report recommended:

• DCLG should initiate steps to set up a New Homes Ombudsman.
• Housebuilding sales contracts should be standardised.
• Buyers should have the right to inspect properties before completion.
• Builders should be required to provide buyers with a comprehensive information pack.
• There should be a review of laws governing consumer rights when purchasing new homes.
• DCLG should commission a thorough review of warranties.
• Housebuilders should instigate a new quality culture by adopting quality systems to ISO standards.
• The industry should significantly increase skills training programmes.
• A minimum standard should be set for compliance inspections.
• Housebuilders should make the annual customer satisfaction survey more independent to boost customer confidence.

In October 2016, the Group launched its fifth inquiry, to consider the implication of Brexit on skills in the construction industry.

[edit] 2018

In June 2018, the Group published 'Better redress for homebuyers' setting out proposals for a New Homes Ombudsman to help provide better redress for homebuyers who are dissatisfied.

Building on 2016's 'More homes, fewer complaints', the report proposed the Ombudsman should be independent, free-to-use and should provide a swift resolution to disputes. It would be funded by a levy on housebuilders, increasing in size according to the size of the company. The report recommended that a code of practice be drawn up by government, warranty providers, housebuilders and consumer groups which could then be used by the Ombudsman to help them adjudicate on disputes.

The report recommendations were presented to the MHCLG as part of their consultation on proposals for a single housing ombudsman. It can be downloaded here.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group.
• All-Party Parliamentary Group.
• All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing and Planning.
• BSRIA response to New Homes Ombudsman.
• Cabinet committee.
• Implementation taskforce.
• Net Zero All Party Parliamentary Group NZ APPG.
• New Homes Ombudsman.
• New Homes Quality Board.
• New UK Conservation, People and Places APPG launches.
• Select committee.
• Select committee for the built environment.

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