Interest in our inaugural conference has been overwhelming. Thank you!
We have suspended registrations for the present and will let you know if we are able to re-open in the near future.
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At the end of last year we consulted on the Building Control Competence Framework (BICoF) which will apply to all building control professionals in both the public and private sectors.
We were pleased to receive a high level of feedback and responses to the consultation which included broad support for:
- the classes, competency levels and subject areas as set out in the framework
- Building Control progressing towards becoming a level 6 degree/equivalent profession in the coming years
- a desire to see a range of options for competence verification come online, including recognition of professional body membership and/or professional experience
We are analysing the responses received and will publish a report on the consultation in the spring. The information and suggestions provided by you will inform our work to improve and finalise the framework. The final BICoF will be published in April.
We are also interested in hearing your views on the draft professional conduct rules (PCRs) for Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs) and the draft code of conduct (CoC) we are developing for Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs).
Both of these consultations are now live - please make sure you have your say:
Consultation: Professional conduct rules for Registered Building Control Approvers
Consultation: Code of conduct for Registered Building Inspectors
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In previous editions of this ebulletin we’ve referred to two new roles being introduced by the Building Safety Act, 2022 – Accountable Persons (APs) and the Principal Accountable Person (PAP).
Those who own or are responsible for managing high-rise residential buildings will need to appoint a PAP who will be responsible for applying to register their building with the new Building Safety Regulator. The register is expected to open in April 2023.
The registration process and the information required to complete registration is subject to secondary legislation being in place. However, we can provide some further information on the roles of AP and PAP so individuals and organisations that take on these responsibilities can prepare and be ready.
Accountable Persons (APs)
APs are people legally responsible for repairing common parts of a building, for example the exterior and structure of the building or corridors or lobbies. They may be an individual, partnership or corporate body and there may be more than one AP for your building. Where there is more than one AP for a building, the AP that owns or is under obligations to repair the exterior and structure of the building will be recognised as the Principal Accountable Person.
Principal Accountable Persons (PAP)
The PAP will have the following primary duties:
- register their building with the Building Safety Regulator
- when directed by the BSR, apply for a Building Assessment Certificate and display it in the building
- prepare a Safety Case Report using the risk assessment and provide this to the Regulator, updating it as required to ensure it is complete, accurate and sufficient
- maintain and manage the important information necessary for managing the building safely - the ‘golden thread’
- develop a resident engagement strategy and complaints procedure
- report certain occurrences, such as fires, to the Building Safety Regulator, in the form of mandatory occurrence reports
More detailed guidance on APs and PAPs roles and their legal responsibilities will be made available in the coming months.
In the meantime, you can help us explore how the roles will work in practice and help shape future guidance by taking part in our current research project below.
HSE would like to hear from you to help better understand the needs of the sector and inform the design of future guidance and support.
The AP role is a new way of working for organisations who manage high-rise residential buildings.
HSE has commissioned an independent research agency, Kantar Public, to interview people working in private and public sector housing organisations who will be an AP or PAP; will make decisions about the role; are knowledgeable about the role; and/or who will work on important aspects of the role (such as building registration, resident engagement and complaints handling).
All interviews will be conducted by independent, experienced researchers at Kantar Public. Anything you say will remain confidential and will not affect any relationships with HSE/BSR.
The interview will take 90 minutes, we may ask to conduct some follow-up interviews with other members of your team and there will also be an opportunity to participate in workshops.
A monetary incentive will be provided as a thank you, with the amount depending on the level of contribution.
For further information or to register your interest to participate in this important research, please email marios.zampetis@kantar.com
Yesterday (Monday 30 January), the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced that developers have received legally binding contracts that will commit them to pay to repair unsafe buildings.
The government has set a 6-week deadline for developers to sign the legal agreements.
Legislation will be brought forward in the spring giving the Secretary of State powers to prevent those who fail to sign and comply with the remediation contracts from operating freely in the housing market.
View the announcement
DLUHC Secretary of State Michael Gove also provided a building safety reform update to parliament setting out progress made and next steps for transforming the built environment.
Read the statement
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