Building control officers could be more consistent in their decision making according to Web Dynamics, the multi-foil insulation manufacturers? The company was responding to a DCLG consultation on improving the efficiency of the building control system.
John Payne, Web Dynamics’ technical manager said: “As a developer and manufacturer of multi-foil insulation, we have firsthand experience of the excellent, but on occasions frustrating work, done by individual officers and building control bodies.
“Building control officers play a key role in ensuring that regulations are complied with and that energy efficiency improvements, to meet future carbon emission targets, genuinely occur. As such they need to be well informed and knowledgeable about a wide range of technologies.
“However inconsistency in decision making is difficult to understand. We will find a particular product may be accepted in one area but not in another and that the amount of insulation required to achieve a target U-value can vary considerably. Building control officers are applying their own professional judgement to make decisions and coming to different conclusions.”
While it’s unreasonable to expect individual officers to have in-depth knowledge of all the technologies and materials used in modern construction, the company also believes third party certification of products, which is supposed to clarify matters, is leading to further confusion due to their variety and the types of certification they provide for multi-foil insulation.
LABC technical committees have played a useful role in examining the problem and issuing technical guidelines, but as these are only advisory notes, many BCOs will go against the advice of expert technical groups within their own organisation.
It is suggested that the current consultation should focus more on standardising the approach to building control decisions, thereby making the process easier for BCOs and more efficient for their customers.
More information: www.webdynamics.co.uk