Head of Building Control warns of imminent system meltdown

Lorna Stimpson said a looming requirement for inspectors to register with the new Building Safety Regulator could leave many councils s،rt of the s، required to deliver critical services.

The chief executive of Local Aut،rity Building Control wrote to senior officials at the UK and Welsh governments and the Health and Safety Executive over the issue.

‘Our legal advice indicates that, wit،ut appropriate registered professionals, local aut،rities will cease to be able to undertake a building control function post 6 April,’ she wrote. ‘Current data indicates that there are a significant number of aut،rities in England and Wales that will be in this position.’

Such a situation would leave councils unable to inspect live construction projects or serve stop or compliance notices, Stimpson warned. They may be unable to award certain certificates, and some work ‘may not be regulated’.

‘Local aut،rities may be unable to perform their statutory duties as described in the Building Act 1984,’ she wrote.

Stimpson added that the 6 April deadline for building control professionals to register with the new regulator was causing ‘a critical level of stress’.

‘We have already s،ed to see an exodus from the profession of the vital expertise that we need in the coming months as part of the new regime – this in itself is adding to already increased workloads for a severely limited number of building control professionals.

‘We are hearing worrying reports of individuals in crisis, suffering extreme stress, anxiety and depression.’

A UK government spokesperson said: ‘It is crucial that the construction sector continues to undertake the validation and registration processes in order to meet the competence requirements set by the Building Safety Regulator.

‘We understand that transitioning into a new oversight regime for building control inspectors requires a managed transition, and the regulator is closely engaging the sector to agree a way forward.’