A building control body is an organisation authorised by the Building Act 1984 (as amended 1 October 2023 by the Building Safety Act 2022) to control building work that is subject to the Building Regulations in England and Wales (similar systems are provided in Northern Ireland, and in Scotland where the term 'building standards' is used. Such regulations or standards are also known as the building codes in other parts of the world.
Building control roles are exercised by public officers within local authorities and by private sector employees of Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs) which replaced the former "Approved Inspectors", once licensed by CICAIR Ltd,[1][2] a body authorised by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government under the Building Act 1984 (as amended).
In England and Wales, each local authority is the "Local Building Control Authority" (LBCA). The collective term "Local Authority Building Control" (LABC) refers to the non-statutory organisation (a 'trade body') of that name representing all local authority building control services in England and Wales.[3] LABC is controlled by its members - the local authorities. The LABC operates a range of generic websites offering "advice" and "information" of the Building Regulations, to both building industry professionals and the general public.
The title "building control officer" (BCO) (also known as a "building inspector" or a "building control surveyor") is used predominantly by local authorities, which confer the title of "officer" to many staff who have regulatory, supervision or enforcement roles.
In 2021, the House of Commons considered a draft Building Safety Bill to implement post Grenfell Tower fireinquiry recommendations for better safety in the erection of future higher-risk buildings, and better management of all existing (and all still under construction) higher-risk block of flats and student accommodation (over six floors or 18m above ground level).[4] The Building Safety Act 2022 is now statute law in England.
Building Regulations are a devolved area of law and different administrative regime existing between the four nations that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain (UK). Scotland has always had very different "building safety standards" under its separate Scottish legal system.
Qualifications and appointment
The Building Safety Act 2022 created a regulated and legally protected profession for all building control professionals. To practice in the public sector with local authorities and/or in the private sector as employees of (RBCAs) companies or as self-employed individuals, all individual building control professionals must register with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) a statutory body created by the Building Safety Act 2022. Thus, since 1 October 2023, it is a criminal offence to claim to be a RBI (Registered Building Inspector) unless registered with the BSR.
In July 2019, there were 95 Approved Inspectors operating in the UK, but rising insurance premiums following the Grenfell disaster meant some could be forced out of business.[5][6]
The main function of building control is to ensure that the requirements of the building regulations are met in all types of non-exempt development. Generally they examine plans, specifications and other documents submitted for approval, and survey work as it proceeds. Most building control surveyors are now actively involved at design stage for many schemes and are acknowledged to provide valuable input at all stages of development.
Many building control surveyors who work for local authorities are involved with other legislation such as safety at sports grounds, dealing with dangerous structures and demolitions, and various development and building matters.
Local authorities (as the Local Building Control Authority) and the Building Safety Regulator have statutory powers under the Building Act 1984 (as amended by the Building Safety Act 2022) to administer and enforce compliance with the relevant requirements of the building regulations and to have work altered or removed that does not comply. These powers have not been conferred on anyone working in the private sector.
There is a clear legal duty on all RBIs to ensure compliance with the relevant requirements of the building regulations; a mandatory code of professional conduct must be followed.
Dutyholders
The Building Regulations 2010 were amended on 1 October 2023 to impose clear legal duties on all clients, designers (architects, etc) and contractors (builders, installers, specialists, etc) to comply with the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations 2010 [See the new "Part 2A of the Building Regulations 2010"].
Organisations
Local Authority Building Control (LABC) is a non-statutory membership organisation representing the 370 local authority building control teams in England.
LABSS (Local Authority Building Standards Scotland) is a not-for-profit membership organisation representing all local authority building standards verifiers in Scotland.[7]
Formed in 1996, the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors (ACAI) promotes private sector building control as a commercial, professional and cost-effective alternative to local authority inspectors.[8]
The ACAI and LABC joined with the CABE, CIOB and RICS to form the Building Control Alliance, incorporated in 2008. The Alliance was dissolved in 2018.
The Association of Registered Building Inspectors (ARBI) is currently being formed, by RBIs, following the new legislation, on 1 October 2023.
The National House Building Council (NHBC), established in 1936, is the UK's largest provider of new home warranties. According to NHBC's website, around 80% of new homes built in the UK each year have an NHBC 10-year warranty. NHBC is also the UK's largest single Approved Inspector for Building Regulations. Its other activities include the provision of services linked to house building and general construction; including energy ratings, health and safety, sustainability, and training. It also provides industry statistics and benchmarking services.
A building code is a set of rules that specify the standards for construction objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permission, usually from a local council. The main purpose of building codes is to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures — for example, the building codes in many countries require engineers to consider the effects of soil liquefaction in the design of new buildings. The building code becomes law of a particular jurisdiction when formally enacted by the appropriate governmental or private authority.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the statutory corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. Its areas of responsibility include:
A house in multiple occupation (HMO), or a house of multiple occupancy, is a British English term which refers to residential properties where 'common areas' exist and are shared by more than one household.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that as of 2011 defines the fundamental structure and authority for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare within the United Kingdom.
To comply with the Building Act 1984 and the subsequent statutory instruments known as the Building Regulations, Building regulations approval is required to construct certain structures in England and Wales. Construction projects falling into this category are sometimes referred to as "notifiable", however this is different from the "notification" (which may also be required under the Construction Regulations 2015, which seeks to monitor health and safety in construction projects.
The Building Act 1984 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom consolidating previous legislation concerning the construction process, and the design and specifications for buildings and their component parts, and related matters, in England and Wales. The Welsh Government may make its own building regulations for Wales under this Act.
Building regulations in the United Kingdom are statutory instruments or statutory regulations that seek to ensure that the policies set out in the relevant legislation are carried out. Building regulations approval is required for most building work in the UK.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that as of 2008 defines, within England and Wales and Scotland, the fundamental structure and authority for waste management and control of emissions into the environment.
Public Analysts are scientists in the British Isles whose principal task is to ensure the safety and correct description of food by testing for compliance with legislation. Most Public Analysts are also Agricultural Analysts who carry out similar work on animal feedingstuffs and fertilisers. Nowadays this includes checking that the food labelling is accurate. They also test drinking water, and may carry out chemical and biological tests on other consumer products. While much of the work is done by other scientists and technicians in the laboratory, the Public Analyst has legal responsibility for the accuracy of the work and the validity of any opinion expressed on the results reported. The UK-based Association of Public Analysts includes members with similar roles if different titles in other countries.
Building officials of developed countries are generally the jurisdictional administrator of building and construction codes, engineering calculation supervision, permits, facilities management, and accepted construction procedures.
An environmental health officer (EHO), also referred to as an environmental health practitioner (EHP) or public health inspector, is a person responsible for carrying out measures to protect public health, which includes the administration and enforcement of legislation related to environmental health and safety hazards.
Construction Industry Council (CIC) is the representative forum for professional bodies, research organisations and specialist business associations in the United Kingdom construction industry.
The history of fire safety legislation in the United Kingdom formally covers the period from the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801 but is founded in the history of such legislation in England and Wales, and Scotland before 1708, and that of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800.
Energy performance certificates (EPCs) are a rating scheme to summarise the energy efficiency of buildings. The building is given a rating between A - G (Inefficient). The EPC will also include tips about the most cost-effective ways to improve the home energy rating. Energy performance certificates are used in many countries.
A building engineer is recognised as being expert in the use of technology for the design, construction, assessment and maintenance of the built environment. Commercial Building Engineers are concerned with the planning, design, construction, operation, renovation, and maintenance of buildings, as well as with their impacts on the surrounding environment.
The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 is a 2005 statutory instrument of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that demands that "No producer shall [supply or] place a [consumer] product on the market unless the product is a safe product" and provides broad enforcement powers. The regulations implemented European Union directive 2001/95/EC and revoked the General Product Safety Regulations 1994. The regulations also repealed section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 which had previously imposed a more limited general safety requirement.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India. It became a statutory body under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act, 2020. The DGCA investigates aviation accidents and incidents, maintains all regulations related to aviation and is responsible for issuance of licenses pertaining to aviation like PPL's, SPL's and CPL's in India. It is headquartered along Sri Aurobindo Marg, opposite Safdarjung Airport, in New Delhi. The Government of India is planning to replace the organisation with a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), modelled on the lines of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The history of rent control in England and Wales is a part of English land law concerning the development of rent regulation in England and Wales. Controlling the prices that landlords could make their tenants pay formed the main element of rent regulation, and was in place from 1915 until its abolition by the Housing Act 1988.
The United Kingdom cladding crisis, also known as the cladding scandal, is an ongoing social crisis that followed the Grenfell Tower fire of 14 June 2017 and the Bolton Cube fire of 15 November 2019. The fires revealed that large numbers of buildings had been clad in dangerously combustible materials, comprising a combination of flammable cladding and/or flammable insulation.
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