{"id":738338,"date":"2024-05-09T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2024-05-09T08:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=738338"},"modified":"2024-05-15T15:20:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T14:20:33","slug":"the-regs-register-ushers-in-a-new-age-for-building-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/the-regs-register-ushers-in-a-new-age-for-building-control","title":{"rendered":"The Regs: Register ushers in a new age for building control"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geoff Wilkinson: <\/strong>Can you explain what has changed?
\n<\/span><\/strong>Colin Blatchford-Brown:<\/strong> First up, there is a new protected title \u2013 the registered building inspector (RBI). From 6 April, only those registered with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as RBIs can use this title and only they can undertake building control work. To register, they must complete an assessment of competence to continue to practice. This is, quite rightly, a time-consuming and robust process, which a large number of surveyors have not been able to complete in time.<\/span><\/p>\n

GW: I understand that there was an extension to the deadline?
\n<\/span><\/strong>CBB:<\/strong> Yes, but only on condition that:
\n<\/span>1) they were an existing building control professional
\n<\/span>2) they registered by noon on 5 April as a Class 1 RBI
\n<\/span>3) they were enrolled in one of the three approved competency assessment schemes, and
\n<\/span>4) they had not failed the assessment for a second time.<\/span><\/p>\n

This enables existing building control professionals to continue to operate at the relevant class they had applied at until 6 July. After that, if they have not completed the process, or if they failed the assessment twice, they revert to Class 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

GW: Can you explain the classes?<\/strong>
\nCBB:<\/strong> Class 1 is for people new to the profession or undergoing training. You do not have to complete a competency assessment to register in this class and therefore must only work under supervision of a Class 2 or 3 RBI, unless you are working under the extension of time explained above.<\/p>\n

Those registered at Class 2 are subdivided further and can work unsupervised as follows:
\nClass 2A<\/strong> residential dwelling house under 7.5m in height
\n2B<\/strong> residential flats and dwelling houses under 11m
\n2C<\/strong> residential flats and dwelling houses, 11m or over but less than 18m high
\n2D<\/strong> all building types and uses under 7.5m in height
\n2E<\/strong> all building types 7.5m tall or more but under 11m
\n2F<\/strong> all building types over 11m but less than 18m.<\/p>\n

Those registered in Class 3 can work unsupervised on buildings also divided into sub-categories:
\n<\/span>3G<\/strong> all building types, including standard and non-standard with no height limit, excluding higher-risk buildings
\n<\/span>3H<\/strong> all building types, including higher-risk buildings \u2013 although only the BSR can process these applications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every RBI must have their competence re-assessed every four years. It will therefore be critical they keep their project portfolios up to date, ensuring they undertake appropriate CPD in line with their own personal development plans and that they keep up to date with legislative and technical changes in legislation and guidance.<\/span><\/p>\n

GW: How many registered building inspectors are there?
\n<\/span><\/strong>CBB:<\/strong> As of 6 April, about 3,500 RBIs were registered with the BSR, much more than the 2,000 some had predicted. However, nobody has established how many building control professionals there were previously across the industry, so we don\u2019t know whether this is enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

GW: How does it affect architects\u2019 projects?
\n<\/span><\/strong>CBB:<\/strong> It is important architects engage an RBI of the class appropriate to the project. So, for example, if you are proposing a four-storey office block, you will need a Class 2E inspector, assuming its under 11m in height.<\/span><\/p>\n

GW: How many Class 2E inspectors are there?
\n<\/span><\/strong>CBB:<\/strong> It\u2019s not easy to answer. Of the 3,500 people registered so far, about 350 are in Class 2 and 150 in Class 3. But, without checking the individual entry, you can\u2019t see the subclass.<\/span><\/p>\n

GW: Class 3 covers \u2018non-standard buildings\u2019. What are they?
\n<\/span><\/strong>CBB:<\/strong> This is, perhaps, the most important question. It has not been well defined. The best guidance can be found in the Monitoring Arrangements, set out by BSR. Generally, non-standard builds are buildings that include anything outside of common construction techniques in England or Wales, and do not follow industry recognised design principles set out in relevant building guidance codes or those not fitting common and long-established building methods. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n