Derbyshire’s approved and recommended provider of building control services, DBCP, has welcomed calls from the Head of the new British Safety Regulator (BSR) and Chief Inspector of Buildings, Peter Baker, that the construction industry must move away from “an over-reliance on the building control body being the final check and arbiter of safety.”
David Pratt, Building Control Manager at DBCP, welcomed Mr Baker’s comments saying: “DBCP has long advocated the early engagement between contractors and building control. We recognise that working with building control services from the offset will not only help avoid problems of safety later down the line but will also help bring projects in on time and within budget and ultimately lead to a better quality of built projects in Derbyshire.”
In the recent interview with Construction News magazine Mr Baker advised that contractors should start preparing for new regulations that are likely to be in place in around 18 months’ time. He highlighted that significant elements of the construction process, under the new safety regime, will no longer just be based on minimum compliance with technical standards or Building Regulations.
He said: “Under the new regulations, there will be an expectation that the building gets built to be safe for its intended use – it’s very much outcome-based rather than just ticking compliance with technical standards.”
Housing Minister Robert Jenrick MP announced the creation of the BSR in January 2020. It is being set up in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster. The BSR will provide oversight of all building control bodies in England and will impact significantly on proposed commercial and residential building projects.
Peter Baker will be the first head of the building control profession, and lead the work to provide independent, expert advice to industry, government, landlords and residents on building safety. Under the new regulations, contractors will have to demonstrate safety measures throughout the entire construction process.
David Pratt added: “Already there are many contractors that engage us at the beginning of a project, and, without exception, it is a smoother build process with a building that fully complies with health, safety and sustainability standards. We have long advocated this approach. As such, we very much welcome the new processes being implemented by the BSR.”
A local company, Beauchief Homes Ltd, is one of a number of construction businesses that engages DBCP at the planning stage of projects, including its Stonegravels timber-framed housing development.
Mike Hassall, Managing Director of Beauchief Homes Ltd explained: “Following recent high-profile tragedies elsewhere, we were focused on ensuring that all products from our suppliers were compliant or better. Where any ambiguity arose in certification or there was a lack of clarity about that compliance, I immediately turned to DBCP for the decision as I knew it was at the forefront of the research and regulations. The diligent overseeing of the project by DBCP and the company’s willingness to get involved in problem solving, along with flexibility and ease of communication helped enormously with the flow of the build.”
As well as being safe and secure, the homes all achieved excellent EPC ratings. Additionally, the adoption of robust details for the party walls and floors within the flats, meant that sound test results far exceeded minimum requirements.
The residential development was praised by DBCP building control surveyor Simon Rimington who said: “In my whole career, Beauchief Homes’ Stonegravels development was one of the best sites I have ever visited. The standard of finish was excellent, and it went above and beyond building control regulations.”
For expert building control advice and guidance, please get in touch with the DBCP team here or call 0333 880 2000.