DCLG Clarifies Part L transitional provisions

Building Control Bodies have now received definitive guidance from DCLG regarding the meaning of commencement of work relating to the transitional provisions for the changes to parts F, J and L.
DCLG advised that commencement of work will be as described in the circular letter issued in relation to recent changes to Part G. This means that any application deposited before 1 October 2010, providing at least one 'dwelling' is commenced before 1 October 2011, then ALL dwellings included in that application can be constructed in accordance with current Building Regulation and in particular Part L 2006, and will not be subjected to the revised requirements to be introduced on 1 October 2010.
The inference is therefore ANY works, be it Domestic or Commercial which have commenced before 1 October 2011 the 2006 provisions apply.
This has to be considered in context to what the Governments objectives are (or were) relating to changing Part L every three years! Theoretically some units could still be under construction using 2006 version when the 2013 version come into effect! Any comment?

BBC Follies celebrated in series

BBC East Midlands Today presenter Dominic Heale toured Riber Castle in Derbyshire, which is being turned into luxury flats. This prestigious Approved Inspector commission requires an open minded approach to many aspects of the Building Regulations, in order to balance Building Control Compliance and conservation control. The programme was aired as part of the BBC series celebrating follies.

Building Control Performance Indicators

Quite rightly we should be all measured so that clients have an informed choice on their Building Control Provider, so here are our stats.

1. Added Value to the finished product - 93%
2. Being helpful and responsive to your needs - 99%
3. Applying the Building Regulations professionally - 99%
4. The overall service - 99%
5. How satisfied with initial response from Administration - 97%
6. How satisfied with timeliness of technical staff - 97%
7. How satisfied with service in specialised areas - 94%
8. How satisfied received good value for money - 84% - Unfortunately too many competitors are very cheap!
9. Satisfied quality of service is a high standard - 96%
10. Would you recommend..as your preferred choice - 97%

Part L Changes Published

The New Part L's have now been published, coming into force 1st October 2010, don't forget there are transitional provisions to ease the new requirements in. We wil be issuing, upon request, CPD seminars, to elaborate upon these changes together with Technical Newsletters. Clients, new or potential are encouraged to submit their proposals as soon as possible before the 1st October 2010, Applications then must commence within the 12 months prior to 1st October 2011 in order to adopt the current Part L.

Salus Appointed as Approved Inspector on FLYBE £24 million training academy.

The building, which is being designed and built by Rok includes a 25-classroom academy and will house up to four flight simulators and an apprentice workshop, enabling Flybe to offer training to other airlines and companies. It will be built on a 12-hectare site off Long Lane, Exeter, near the airport industrial estate.
Building work on the scheme is now underway with an expected completion date of next March..
Another great example of us delivering our expertise with value engineering and top quality Building Control.

Building Regulation Changes – October 2010, Parts L, F and J.

Housing and Planning Minister John Healey announced on the 12th March 2010, The Statutory Instrument amending Parts L, F and J of the building regulations (Conservation of fuel and power, Means of ventilation and Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems) was laid today and the regulations take effect from October 2010.
Revisions to the relevant supporting technical guidance (Approved Documents and Compliance Guides) will be made available shortly, together with a summary of responses of last year's consultations on Parts L, F and J.
There will also be changes to the Building Regulations Competent Persons Schemes (CPSs) and minor technical amendments to Part G of the Building Regulations. The Part G and CPS amendments will take effect on 6 April 2010 and Approved Document G will be published today.

Further details are available on our latest news area of our website.

DCLG Confirms introduction of Structural Eurocodes

The DCLG was now formally announced a suite of eurocodes to replace the British Standard versions relating to Structural design. They are intended to remove potential barriers to trade where differing design standards exist. There are ten Eurocodes, made up of 58 parts that are being adopted by all EU Member states.. The corresponding British Standards will be withdrawn on 31st March 2010.
DCLG, also announces proposed changes to the Approved Documents, Parts A (Structure) and C (Site preparation, etc) will be part of their review cycle and is expected to be in 2013..This is to meet their earlier announcement that they will reduce the Building Regulation changes to one every three years and amend Parts normally no more than once every six years.

DCLG issues statement on New Part G.

Tracy Cull, Head of Building Control System Policy at DCLG this week issued a statement to confirm that the New Part G will indeed come into force on the 6th April 2010 despite the fact that the rewording has yet to be resolved with Ministers’ sign off. They therefore acknowledge that there is to be a very short timescale between the publication and the implementation of Part G.

Please remember there are transitional arrangements which permit the use of the current Part G provided the Initial notice has been served and a plan certificate has been issued to cover these elements of works. The works must also commence within 12 months to adopt the current guidance.

Clearly this is unfortunate however the transitional arrangements offer some breathing space if developers act now!

Salus Tech News II - Changes to Code of Practise on Design of buildings.

Legislation in the UK rightly requires buildings to be accessible; March 2009 saw the launch of the latest BS 8300, Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people – Code of practice, an update of the 2001 version.

Supported by contemporary research, it signals an evolution of thought and approach on inclusive access. It still offers recommended prescriptive solutions in a climate of policy objectives and risk appraisal.

For designers, however, it presents a problem when used alongside Approved Document M which cites the 2001 version (and will do for some while to come): which document takes precedence? The answer may seem obvious: ‘the latest BS’, however, the Approved Document is current and there is no obligation to follow the new standard in order to meet the functional requirements of the Building Regulations.

However, it is a sure thing that there will be changes to the Approved Documents in the next few years.