Response 873494815

Back to Response listing

Part 1

1.1. Do you agree that the roles and responsibilities of verifiers (including their key activities) must be clearly defined and recorded, including the expected level of resources and skills needed to undertake verification activity, and the actual level?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.2. Do you agree that verifiers must place a greater emphasis on inspection and testing throughout construction and at completion?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.3. Do you agree that verifiers must place a strong focus on safety critical elements such as structure (for example wall ties, lateral restraint) and fire safety (for example fire protection, fire-stopping, cavity barriers)?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.4. Do you agree that local authorities should not be able to act as verifier for their own “higher risk” building work due to possible conflicts of interest?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.6. Do you agree that the roles and responsibilities of building owners and developers (including their key activities) must be clearly defined within the Building Standards system and recorded including the expected level of resources and skills needed to assure themselves and verifiers of compliance, and the actual level?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.7. Do you agree that the building owners and developers must, to ensure compliance, place a greater emphasis on inspection and testing throughout construction and at completion, with focus on the safety critical elements?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.8. Do you agree with the requirement for a Compliance Plan, to be provided by the owner or developer, to demonstrate their approach to compliance from initial design, through detailed design and construction, and leading to their final sign-off and certification of the completed building?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.9. Do you agree that the building owner or developer should be required to appoint a competent professional person, with the appropriate experience and qualifications, to act on their behalf in order to assure them of compliance when they submit the completion certificate?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.10. Do you agree that mandatory pre-application discussions and pre-commencement of construction discussions should be introduced for higher risk buildings?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.11. Do you agree that amendments to warrant should differentiate between minor changes, major changes, and staged warrants?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.12. Do you agree that the construction procedures and guidance should be reviewed and that mandatory notifications are introduced, including notification of progress on higher risk projects?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.13. Do you agree that verifiers should carry out ad-hoc (unannounced) progress inspections and be able to require disruptive surveys when mandatory notifications are not made to them?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.14. Do you agree that verifiers should record safety critical building standards non-compliances and feedback at a national level to drive improvements?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.15. Do you agree that verifiers should be notified of minor changes in design as the project progresses, on the understanding that they are to be covered by an amendment to warrant before the completion certificate is submitted?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.16. Do you agree that the completion certificate for a higher risk building should have sub-sets for safety critical aspects, and be accompanied by as-built drawings and the completed Compliance Plan?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.17. Do you agree that the procedures for the temporary occupation or use of a building should be strengthened for example requiring a declaration of compliance and monitoring of the expiry dates?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.18. Do you agree that restrictions to the occupation or use of existing buildings should be considered when significant alterations are being carried out to higher risk buildings?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.19. Do you agree that local authorities should be more pro-active in enforcing building regulations and monitor construction regularly?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure
Please provide any comments in the box below.
Resource and funding issue.

1.20. Do you agree that local authorities should have a building standards enforcement policy in place that is based on national guidance?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.21. Do you agree that national guidance on building standards enforcement should include what enforcement related actions local authorities should carry out and the level of resources and skills they should have to do so?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

1.22. Do you agree the penalties and levels of fines associated with serious failures in compliance should be increased?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

Fire Safety

2.1. Do you agree that the guidance should be developed to make clear that there is more than one way of achieving compliance with the mandatory functional standards?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.2. Do you agree that the annexes in the Technical Handbooks for residential care buildings, hospitals and enclosed shopping centres should be published separately?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.3. Do you agree that an additional Technical Handbook for simple domestic detached and semi-detached dwellings (up to 3 storeys) should be introduced as a means of compliance with fire, and all applicable building standards and sections of the Handbooks?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.4. Do you agree that a national “hub” approach should be developed to share expertise and skills and be responsible for verifying fully performance based “fire safety engineering designs”?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.5. Do you agree that consideration should be given to a certification scheme for fire engineering?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.6. Do you agree that the reference to British Standards Reaction to Fire Tests should be removed from the Technical Handbook?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.7. Do you agree that only A1 and A2 materials, using the European Harmonised “reaction to fire tests”, should be required for external walls or insulation exposed in a cavity of a high rise building (domestic and non-domestic) with a storey at a height of more than 11m above ground?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.8. Do you agree that only A1 and A2 materials, using the European Harmonised “reaction to fire tests”, should be required for external walls or insulation exposed in a cavity of entertainment and assembly buildings, residential care homes and hospitals of any height?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.9. Do you agree that BS 8414 (and BR135) may still be used as an alternative method of providing evidence to show compliance?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.10. Do you agree fire service activated evacuation sounders should be required in each flat in new domestic buildings which have a storey at a height of more than 18m above ground level?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.11. Do you agree that two stairways should be required for new domestic buildings which have a storey at a height of more than 18m above ground level?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.12. Do you agree that new HMOs used for “care” 24/7 should be included in the list of buildings with a mandatory requirement for automatic fire suppression systems?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.13. Do you agree that new HMOs with 10 or more occupants should be included in the list of buildings with a mandatory requirement for automatic fire suppression systems?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

2.14. Do you agree that new flats should be included in the list of buildings with a mandatory requirement for automatic fire suppression systems?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

Miscellaneous

3.1. Do you agree that protected lobbies need not be provided to shared residential accommodation with only one escape stair?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

3.2. Do you agree that exempt type 16 of building regulations should be reviewed in respect of the criteria for the erection of a temporary building and the temporary use of a building?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

4.1. Do you agree with the areas identified for further consideration?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

4.2. Do you consider there are other areas of the building standards system that require further consideration?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure

Impact Assessments

5.1. Are there any proposals in this consultation which impact or have implications on ‘equality groups’? Choose from the following options:

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure
Verifiers
Yes
Building Owner or Developer
Yes
Compliance Plan
Yes
Building standards system
Yes
Enforcement
No

5.2. Are there any proposals in this consultation which impact or have implications on ‘equality groups’? Choose from the following options:

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure
Structure of building standards and supporting guidance
No
Fire safety engineering
Yes
Fire safety engineering
Yes
External walls and cladding
No
Escape
Yes
Automatic fire suppression systems
Yes

5.3. Do any of the proposals in this consultation have any financial, regulatory or resource implications for you and/or your business (if applicable)? Choose from the following options:

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure
Verifiers
No
Building Owner or Developer
YES
Compliance Plan
No
Building standards system
Yes
Enforcement
Yes

5.4. Do any of the proposals in this consultation have any financial, regulatory or resource implications for you and/or your business (if applicable)? Choose from the following options:

Please select one item
Yes
No
Unsure
Structure of building standards and supporting guidance
Yes
Fire safety engineering
Yes
External walls and cladding
Yes
Escape
Yes
Automatic fire suppression systems
YES

About you

Are you responding as an individual or an organisation?

Please select one item
(Required)
Individual
Organisation

What is your organisation?

Barratt North Scotland