Building control bodies BCB

The building regulations set out legal requirements for specific aspects of building work and the notification procedures that must be followed when starting, carrying out, and completing building work. In England, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is responsible for the Building Regulations.

The building regulations require that a project's compliance with the regulations is independently verified. Building Control Bodies (BCBs) are responsible for checking building work to verify that it complies with the regulations. Their role might include:

• Providing the client with advice on the building regulations.
• Giving advice regarding the information that needs to be submitted.
• Checking proposals for compliance with the building regulations.
• Issuing a plans certificate if that has been requested.
• Inspecting work as it progresses.
• Issuing a final certificate.

Building Control Bodies may be:

• The building control department of the Local Authority.
• An Approved Inspector.

The person carrying out the building work can choose whether they would prefer to use the Local Authority or an Approved Inspector. Approved inspectors can be individuals or organisations.

In March 2014, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and Welsh Government Ministers transferred responsibility for approving Approved Inspectors to CICAIR Limited, a subsidiary of the Construction Industry Council (Ref. CIC, CIC launches CICAIR Limited 27 March 2014).

A set of building control performance standards have been prepared by the Building Control Performance Standards Advisory Group (BCPSAG) to help ensure competition between local authorities and approved inspectors does not drive down standards and to encourage the consistent application of building control functions.

NB: Competent person self-certifications schemes (or competent person schemes) introduced in 2002 allow registered installers (mostly small firms or sole traders) who are competent in their field to self-certify certain types of building work.

In 2019, LABC launched of a BSc (Hons) degree in Public Service Building Control Surveying at Wolverhampton University.

In July 2020, the ‘Future of building control working group’ published 11 key recommendations for the future oversight and regulation of the profession and Building Control Bodies including:

• Steps to simplify and unify building control legislation, process and procedures.
• An independent designated body to oversee professional registration and organisational audit.
• Introduction of a new competence framework to cover all persons working in building control including those working on higher risk buildings in scope of the new regulator.
• A unified pan-industry Code of conduct for all Building Control Bodies and professionals.
• A unified pan-industry career structure to set clear expectations of competence across the building control sector.

Ref https://www.rics.org/globalassets/rics-website/media/upholding-professional-standards/sector-standards/building-surveying/future-of-building-control.pdf

The Building Safety Bill, introduced in 2020, proposes that approved inspectors and building control bodies are renamed registered building control approver(s) - referring to private sector firms doing building control work. Ref https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/901869/Draft_Building_Safety_Bill_PART_2.pdf

Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 report overview, report of the public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, published in September 2024, recommended:

• that the government appoint an independent panel to consider whether it is in the public interest for building control functions to be performed by those who have a commercial interest in the process.
• that the same panel consider whether all building control functions should be performed by a national authority.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Approved documents.
• Approved inspector.
• Building control Northern Ireland.
• Building control performance standards.
• Building inspector.
• Building official.
• Building Regulations.
• Competent person schemes.
• Fire authority.
• Fire and rescue service.
• Health and safety executive.
• How long it takes to get building regulations approval and how long it lasts.
• Local authority.
• Local Authority Building Control.
• Local planning authority.
• Planning permission.
• Statutory approvals.

[edit] External references

• Building Control Performance Standards Advisory Group.
• CIC, CIC launches CICAIR Limited 27 March 2014
• Gov.uk Providing effective building regulations so that new and altered buildings are safe, accessible and efficient.
• DCLG circular 01/2010 explaining how the 2010 regulations differ from the 1998 regulations.
• Circular letter providing general guidance on implementation of the 2010 regulations for building control bodies.

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