Building Control Policy
Policy for standards of building control service
Meridian Consult Building Control Services
Meridian Consult Ltd will make available, on request, this policy for the provision of its building control service to all enquirers. The policy will be reviewed annually, taking into account workload, resources and legislation – and follows the Building Safety Regulator’s Professional Conduct Rules for Registered Building Control Approvers and our in-house ISO9001 Accredited Quality Management System.
Resources
Meridian Consult will deploy sufficient experienced and qualified staff, appropriate to the type of building control work undertaken, in order to meet its duties under the Building Act 1984.
After regular reviews of current and forecast workloads, sufficient resources will be allocated to enable Meridian Consult to discharge its duties with reasonable skill and care to comply with the Building Control Performance Standards. Ongoing formal reviews of resources and staffing shall be regularly undertaken, to address fluctuations in workload.
Project acceptance: formal procedures will be in place to review the capability and/or capacity of Meridian Consult to accept projects either individually or collectively.
Managers will be responsible for ensuring capacity constraints (resource versus workload) are continuously monitored.
Resources for existing projects: a process of continuous review shall be undertaken to ensure existing projects are adequately resourced.
Consultation
Meridian Consult will undertake all statutory consultations in a timely manner. It shall consider the possible desirability of undertaking additional consultations and relay this information to the applicant in a timely manner.
Communication & Records
Where our client is not the building owner, Meridian shall communicate in writing to the Building Owner that it is the Building Control Body being used for their building work (unless it is satisfied that the client has informed the building owner in writing).
Assessment of plans
When assessing plans and designs, clear information shall be communicated to the client regarding:
- non-compliance with the Building Regulations
- views of statutory consultees
- conditions pertaining to the approval or passing of plans
- remedies available in the event of a dispute over compliance.
Records of the plan assessment process: records shall be kept of the design assessment philosophy, and any statutory and/or discretionary consultations, for future reference and continuity of control.
Site inspection
Site inspection regime: Meridian Consult will maintain an appropriate site inspection regime, which takes full account of relevant factors such as the:
- type, scale and complexity of work proposed
- ground conditions
- extent of prior assessment of plans
- method of construction
- experience of builders / contractors & level of inspection required (requested or otherwise)
- how serious the consequences are of a particular contravention
- the impracticality or impossibility of subsequent inspection of hidden work
- speed of build or methods of fast track construction,
Relevant factors shall be assessed at the outset and regularly reviewed, so that effective control is maintained for the duration of each project, with adequate recording, to demonstrate the application of reasonable skill and care.
Inspection frequency: scope and frequency of inspection is determined, and incorporated in a formal written plan that is issued for each project – this plan is kept under review as the project proceeds taking account of the factors listed above,
Site inspection records: records of each inspection shall be maintained on the Meridian in house database, and will identify the work inspected and any non-compliance. Where plans are not available for the work, these records will be more detailed. Copies of site inspection records will be made available, upon request for them in writing, for any project that has been issued with a Final Certificate or for projects where Initial Notices have been cancelled – within 15 years of the Final Certificate / cancellation. However, such parts of records that contain personal information covered by the Data Protection Act and / or where there are security considerations may be redacted or withheld. We reserve the right to make a charge for the provision of records on a cost recovery basis.
Contraventions: non-compliant work (contraventions) shall be communicated promptly and clearly to the responsible person, identifying the contravention(s) and indicating any measure(s) believed to be necessary to remedy the situation. The method for appealing against Meridian Consults decisions will be explained as and when necessary.
Notification of consultees: during the inspection phase, Meridian Consult shall ensure that all statutory consultees are notified of any significant departures from plans.
Certificates of completion
Upon satisfactory completion of the relevant work, Meridian Consult shall give a final Certificate to the local authority, the direct client and other appropriate persons.
Archiving of records
All records relating to the building control service provided to individual projects shall be retained by Meridian Consult for a minimum period of 15 years.
Arrangements shall be made for their transfer into safe keeping in the event of Meridian Consult Ltd ceasing to trade.
Continuing professional development
As part of the ongoing development of its staff, Meridian Consult shall maintain suitable arrangements for continuing professional development and in-service training.
Review of performance
Meridian Consult shall collect and monitor evidence of its performance, in terms of service delivery and compliance or non-compliance of building work with the Building Regulations. It shall have procedures in place to learn from its findings as a part of a process of continuous improvement.
It shall also facilitate the sharing of any information that would be of benefit to other Building Control Bodies (BCB) in recognising general areas of difficulty (or failure) in achieving compliance.
Management systems
Meridian Consult shall incorporate quality management principles into its service, which can demonstrate that the above Standards are being achieved.
Business ethics
Meridian Consult shall observe the highest professional standards and business ethics expected of service providers. Meridian Consult shall not attempt to supplant a competitor, or win work, on the basis of interpretation of the regulations. The principle of the building control function being independent shall not be compromised.
Complaints procedure
Meridian Consult will operate, maintain and make available, on request, to any interested party, its complaints procedure. Persons dissatisfied with the building control service they receive shall be able to complain and have their complaint dealt with fairly, transparently and in a manner that can be independently audited.
- Meridian Consult Ltd
- 9 Marconi Gate, Stafford Technology Park, Stafford. ST18 0FZ
- Tel: 01785 859200 / 210
- W: meridianconsult.co.uk