Building Control - Archive News - 2005
- 14th Customer Guide released May 2005
- A quality business - update October 2005
- Access Statements September 2005
- Charter Mark Award for Royal Borough's Building Control Consultancy
- Enhanced Service Standards for 2005/06
- Gas and Oil Central Heating Boilers - Advice to Householders
- LABC Services Energy Scheme 2005
- New Charges from 1st May 2005
- New Customer Guides launched
- New Technical Matters 4 - Part M and Access for all
NEW TECHNICAL MATTERS 4 - PART M AND ACCESS FOR ALL
Part M and access issues are becoming more important to designers and developers. To help clarify such issues as the changes to Part M, the implications of the DDA, how to approach an Access Statement and Berkshire's own Access Guide, we have produced the latest in our series of Technical Matters Guides. The fourth one is now available to download on our Customer Guides web page along with the other three in the series.
NEW CUSTOMER GUIDES LAUNCHED
The fifteenth and sixteenth in the series of our Customer Guides are now available, either in hard copy by contacting the Building Control Team on 01628 796870, or by downloading a copy from our Customer Guides web page. The fifteenth in the series deals with the increasingly important issue of domestic sprinklers and the sixteenth with the common problem of removing a chimney.
We will be continually developing further guides on specific topics, alternatively, let us know if there is some advice or guidance you would like to see in our series.
LABC SERVICES ENERGY SCHEME 2005
Local Authority Building Control, in partnership with Powergen, have reduced the prices for home insulation, and are now able to offer homeowners the opportunity to install cavity wall insulation and/or loft insulation at very competitive prices.
In addition, for a limited period until 31 December 2005, any Powergen customer applying, who is either over 60 years of age or in receipt of qualifying benefits, can have all work carried out Free of Charge.
As Local Authority Building Control, we ensure that only specially selected, highly competent contractors are used on the scheme, and high standards of quality and customer care are always maintained.
To find out more, please see the download below and call the Scheme Helpline
free on 0800 479 0162, quoting LABC.
For details of further energy saving schemes and tips on energy efficiency
measures you can make to your home, visit Energy efficiency in the Borough.
A QUALITY BUSINESS - UPDATE OCTOBER 2005
ISO 9001:2000 Re-assessment 2005
We are delighted that following the rigorous and extensive review of our
Quality Management System by the British Standards Institute (BSI) in October
2005, we have successfully maintained our accreditation by continuing to show
we are meeting and exceeding the exacting standards of ISO 9001:2000.
This is the standard by which quality is measured internationally and follows eight quality principles. This has required us to review and streamline our existing systems and procedures. This accreditation does not come easily, and is a result of our commitment to customer focus and continuous business development.
This achievement emphasises and rewards our commitment to a pro-active continuous improvement culture, and is instrumental to the planning and development of future service initiatives.
Look out for more of these in 2006.
ACCESS STATEMENTS SEPTEMBER 2005
From May 1st 2004, Approved Document M of the Building Regulations, 'Access to and use of buildings', impacts on the majority of building work being undertaken. Access Statements form an important element of these changes and the information which is required to show compliance with the Building Regulations. An Access Statement is an explanation of how accesss and facilities for people with disabilities and others have been addressed in a particular scheme. It is intended to allow the applicant to demonstrate how well they meet the various legislative requirements and is seen as an essential tool in demonstrating compliance.
We have created a web page to give help and advice on this new important issue. This includes a Model Access Statement with Guidance Notes, which is available to download, complete and submit with your Planning and Building Regulation applications. We have also included a design cheecklist to help you identify the areas that require addressing in the Access Statement. Both of these documents should then form part of the Planning and Building Regulation applications.
In order to develop their awareness, from 1st September 2005, the Borough has introduced a requirement for all major planning application submissions to include an Access Statement. This will assist designers, developers and their clients to achieve an accessible environment to the benefit of all users of their developments.
14th CUSTOMER GUIDE RELEASED MAY 2005
In response to customer requests, we have developed a series of Customer
Guides to help explain various aspects of the Building Control process and
respond to frequently asked questions. A total of fourteen have been produced
to date.
These are available from Building Control, Council reception facilities or
download them from our 'Customer Guides' web page.We will be
continually developing further guides on specific topics, alternatively, let us
know if there is some advice or guidance you would like to see.
STOP PRESS
The fourteenth in the series, dealing with advice on Replacement Windows, Doors and Rooflights, is now available to download on our Customer Guide web page.
NEW CHARGES FROM 1ST MAY 2005
Our NEW Charges Form is provided below to download. Please note these Charges are applicable for applications submitted to us from 1st May 2005. Please contact our helpline on 01628 796870 if you would like any assistance in calculating the correct charge.
Having held our charges without increase for two years we are making a nominal increase of 3.8% for charges for domestic extensions and garages (Tables 2a and 2b). Also, the minimum Charges specified in Table 2(c) of our General Guide to Charges now relates to all loft conversions where the estimated cost of the work is less than £26,000, an increase of £2,000 from 2004.
For works involving loft conversions where the estimated cost of the work exceeds £26,000, the Charges payable will be based on a reasonable builders estimate. Table 3 of our General Guide will be used for these instances. Our Charges for works based on an estimated cost of work basis (Table 3) remain unchanged for 2005.
We have also added the Regularisation Charges for the respective Table 2 work for your convenience.
GAS AND OIL CENTRAL HEATING BOILERS - ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS
From 1st April, 2005, the Governrnent are raising the energy performance standard for new and replacement gas-fired hot water central heating boilers. From this date, in normal circumstances when you plan to install a new boiler or replace an existing one, you will need a condensing boiler to meet the higher standards for energy efficiency. The condensing boiler must be rated A or B on the SEBDUK scale.There is an exceptions procedure that can be followed if it can be shown that it is not cost effective or is too complex to fit. The procedure looks at the type of property, fuel, positioning, flue arrangements and the need for a condensate pump or soakaway. If the installation satisfies the exceptions a standard efficiency boiler may be fitted. If your installer advises you that it would be unreasonable to install a condensing boiler in your home, they should give you a declaration form for you to keep. CORGI installers will issue these forms from 1st April 2005. OFTEC installers will also issue them, even though oil-fired boilers do not have to meet the new energy efficiency standards until April 2007.
If your boiler is installed by a CORGI or OFTEC registered installer, you will get a Building Regulation compliance certificate from OFTEC, after the work has been completed. This will show that the work meets Building Regulation standards. CORGI or OFTEC will also tell the local authority that you have had a new or replacement boiler fitted.
If your boiler is being installed by someone who is not registered with OFTEC, you will need to complete a Building Notice form and pay the apprpriate Charge. These are both available from our Downloads page. The local authority is then responsible for checking that the work has been carried out to the necessary standards. If the work is found to be satisfactory, the local authority will issue you with a completion certificate. You should keep these certificates as you will need them when you sell your home.
Where can I find out more ?
We have provided advice on the new requirements and the process you will need to undertake on our ' Condensing Boilers and Part L ' web page.
A guidance leaflet explaining the new procedure is also either available by contacting Building Control on 01628 796870 or by viewing and downloading it from http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent.
The assessment form should be completed and signed by a competent person, usually the installer. A ' Guide to the Condensing Boiler Installation Assessment Procedure for Dwellings ' is available to view and download from the ODPM website at : www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent.
Useful guidance can also be sought from :-
The Heating and Hotwater Information Council - http://www.centralheating.co.uk/
The Energy Trust - http://www.est.org.uk/
CORGI - http://www.corgi-gas-safety.com/
OFTEC - http://www.oftec.org/
Boiler-efficiency database - http://www.boilers.org.uk/
ENHANCED SERVICE STANDARDS.......For 2005/06
Having reviewed our current Service Standards and listened to feedback from our customers. We are pleased to announce further improvements to our existing Service Standards for 2005/06. These will apply to all applications submitted to us from 1st April 2005. These exceed published national targets for best practice within local authority building control services. Our regular Performance Review, both on this web page and in our newsletter, will keep our customers updated on how we are performing and the building control team focused on what you want.
Our improved target will be to issue 85% of all Completion Certificates within 5 working days from the satisfactory completion of work ie. outstanding conditions have been resolved, Inspection Charges have been received, and defects have been made good. This clear target will greatly assist both property developers and homeowners alike. This is in response to the growing importance given to Completion Certificates during property transactions.
To help us speed up on this process, we would however appreciate it if our customers could ensure that all outstanding conditions have been satisfied and payments made before requesting a completion inspection. This means that we can help all of our customers to receive their certificate as soon as possible without any delays.
During 2004 we continued to improve over and above our plan checking service standard, our target of checking 85% of all applications within 10 working days of submission was exceeded. We achieved an average of 94.1% during 2004/05.Our second improved target for 2005/06 has therefore raised this target to 95%.
CHARTER MARK AWARD FOR ROYAL BOROUGH'S BUILDING CONTROL CONSULTANCY
The Building Control Consultancy team are delighted to announce their success in achieving the Charter Mark award for their service.
The Charter Mark Award Scheme recognises excellence in providing a public service, and is only awarded where services meet extremely high standards. Charter Mark involves a commitment to : excellent service, flexibility, choice and value for money.
Building Control Consultancy now hold the Charter Mark Standard for customer service excellence as well as its Quality Management system to ISO:9001:2000.
The team were particularly pleased to receive the observations of the Charter Mark assessors, who noted: -
- ample evidence of staff commitment to the principles of Charter Mark
- evidence of a clear customer focus, with every opportunity taken to improve the service, following feedback from service users
- effective team working which has produced levels of accessibility which customers appreciate
- clear benefits for all customers thanks to good relationship with partners
- continued service development and raising of standards against a background of close scrutiny of costs and high income targets
The assessment is a two stage process, including an initial desk top review of the written submission and substantiating evidence supplied by the service, to show how the service had met the requirements of the Charter Mark Standard. The final stage was an on-site assessment.
Whilst the assessors report was generally complimentary and positive, areas for further improvement were also identified. The Building Control team will be addressing these in readiness for the subsequent review.
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