How To Get the Best Out of Your Building Compliance Company

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In this new post, ATSPACE lets you know how to take full advantage of your building compliance company.

 

Many of us have used construction compliance companies in the past, but have we all got the most out of them?

What we mean here is to remember that you employ these companies, to help you get the best results for your project.

 

Ethos

To do this properly, they must have the right ethics and principles. Most companies will have their own ethos, so find one which matches your own. If you’re looking to build sustainably, find a company that also holds the same principles. Remember to check out their reviews, look through Google as well, don’t just believe what is said on their own site, we can all write good things about ourselves!

 

Help Offered

Most compliance companies will offer help from the design stage through to the certification. If this is your first rodeo, this is always a good option to take. Yes, you might initially pay a bit more, but you’ll ultimately pay less. If you fail the tests, or if you’re looking to build sustainably but don’t meet the targets, then paying to rectify problems is much more expensive than paying for advice. The problem companies have here is that it sounds like a sales pitch. Of course, they want you to use their services, but they also want you to pass. Not only is a failure bad for you, but it also causes more problems for them. They will obviously support you through the whole process, but they don’t want to return to the same project, which keeps failing, and they want a high first-time pass rate if nothing else.

 

Pricing

Compare costs, don’t put everything into price, but get an idea of what is expected. A company open with its pricing structure is a good place to start. You don’t want hidden costs, why does someone need to hide how much a service is? Trust who you’re working with. It’s difficult to do this when you don’t know a company, but build a picture, your own picture, not one sold to you!

 

What’s Important to You?

Do you want a quick turnaround, a low price, reliability, maybe all three, maybe you have more to add to the list? Look for a company that can offer exactly what you need. Hold them to their promises, do they have a guarantee? Look for reviews which specifically mention these points. Check out this company from start to finish and talk to someone who works there, especially if you’re good at reading people. Do remember though, these people are there to sell a service!

Look for a company which will support your every need, a company that can answer all your questions without adding more to your invoice! You need someone who is impartial, who will be there for you. Make sure you have an account manager, someone you can call directly and speak to with any questions.

Ultimately, go with your gut. There are loads of good compliance companies out there, but unfortunately, some bad ones too. Not everyone is there to rip you off, some are there to deliver the best service possible. Any company worth its weight will actually point you in the direction of its competitors if they can provide a service that is more in touch with your needs!

 

ATSPACE is a specialist provider for Building Regulations Services. Check out what they have to offer here.

 

Photo by Dakota Roos on Unsplash

Steps construction firms can take to mitigate materials shortages

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The UK construction industry manufactures and uses an incredible amount of materials each year, producing around 2bn bricks, over 70 million sq m of concrete blocks and 30 million sq m of roof tiles per annum.  However, in a year where the construction industry has faced unprecedented challenges owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Brexit process, we have seen shortages in supply of construction materials, and this can cause significant delay and disruption to construction projects. 

A recent survey by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) found the critical issue facing constructions firms to be the rising cost of materials. The survey reveals that nine in 10 builders face increasing costs, and are experiencing a lack of materials such as timber, plaster and roof tiles.  There are also particular concerns over supplies of white goods for homebuilders, plumbing items, ironmongery, tools, natural stone, and more. 

Despite huge production levels, the UK remains a net importer of materials: with roughly 60 per cent of imported materials used in UK construction projects coming from the EU, and with congestion at UK ports already causing serious delays, it’s no surprise that concerns are running high. Even with a quota-free and tariff-free trade deal now in place with the EU, increased administrative costs and additional bureaucratic processes at the major ports could lead to short or medium term disruption.  

With margins already tight, this is likely to have a significant impact.  

In addition, Covid-related import delays, new operating procedures to maintain safety, and a glut of PPE materials that are reported to be causing freight blockages are just some of the issues which have caused some unloading times to increase by a number of weeks.  

The next 12 months are crucial for the sector, with fierce scrutiny of import/export operations around our major ports. How will that impact the availability and cost of materials post-Brexit and what can the industry expect moving forward? Ultimately, what can you do to get your business as prepared as possible? 

It’s important not to panic. The best approach is to make a full assessment of your business in light of this changing environment and take steps to improve readiness for different outcomes.  

Here are some of the key areas that construction company leaders should focus on: 

Stay on top of the latest guidance 

Make it part of your daily routine to stay on top of the latest Government guidance and make any necessary changes regarding importing goods as soon as possible. It is inevitable that the construction industry will encounter problems in 2021, so it is important to think ahead, identify and manage the risks.  

Reassess work 

Take time to understand how any changes could impact current or future projects, in terms of cash flow, project timeframes, quality, profit margins and contracts. It’s sensible to re-assess the probable volume of work and adjust your budget as things become clearer. Remember to also review your clients’ vulnerability to any economic slump. Doing this, will help set your company up for success when things do return to normal.  

Review your pool of subcontractors 

Review your supplier pool and consider if you may need to source alternative or additional suppliers. Ask yourself how your subcontractors are managing the challenges of the last year, including financially.  

Diversify your supply chain 

The sector has a long and fragmented low-margin supply chain, and was part of the economy that was likely to be quickly and heavily impacted by the pandemic. Factory shut-down during the first lockdown and stockpiling of materials created a backlog, but with recovery in mind, it’s in the interests of all in the sector to help stabilise the UK supply chain as well as ensuring your projects are able to run as smoothly as possible. Responsibility falls to all to ensure the supply chains are managed and that industry competence and UK credibility is maintained. 

Reach out and collaborate with your supply chain to understand the viability of contract terms and make an assessment as to the need for any renegotiations. 

Gather as much data as you can to create a supplier dashboard of UK suppliers and imported materials. Continuously explore potential disruption and risk and assess how your project controls, risk management and governance processes could handle any changes to suppliers. 

Think about vulnerabilities in your supply chain and how they could impact you financially and legally – consider cashflow, loan repayments, terms and contracts. How can you overcome or mitigate any disruption caused by any of these issues? 

Work with suppliers to agree fair payment terms to ensure sustainability of UK supply chain and to futureproof needs. 

Lisa Dromgoole and Rosie Gollan 

Womble Bond Dickinson 

This article original appeared on the Womble Bond Dickinson Website 

A WBD guide to avoiding and mitigating delay and disruption in the construction sector is available here 

The Planning System – Business as (un)usual

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How is the planning system adapting to the current circumstances? Dominic Crowley of Lichfields explains and introduces their Economic Recovery Framework to help regions get back on their feet.

As we all get used to doing business in these unusual times, the day-to-day reality of the planning process and the way development is brought forward have changed markedly – and with the Government’s decision to extend the ongoing lockdown, there is limited prospect of a return to normality any time soon.

Since the announcement of the lockdown, the national focus for the planning system has been to ensure business continues as usual, with planning applications continuing to be validated, processed and determined by the relevant Local Planning Authority (LPA). There has been a particular emphasis on ensuring the decision-making element of the process is not unduly delayed given its important role in supporting the function of the economy. This has been highlighted at the highest levels of Government decision-making, including through the most recent update from Steve Quartermain (Chief Planner at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)). In his update, Mr Quartermain highlighted the importance of LPAs continuing to “provide the best service possible in these stretching times” noting that they should “prioritise decision-making to ensure the planning system continues to function, especially where this will support the local economy.” [1]

The key messages are therefore clear; work within the lockdown restrictions but keep the planning system moving, retain transparency in the decision-making process and ensure that a sufficient supply of flexible and high-quality planning permissions is in place to assist in addressing the economic fallout of the pandemic.

To allow business to continue as usual, one of the key measures introduced by the Government is the Coronavirus Act 2020. The Act gained royal assent on the 25th March 2020 and provides temporary legislation to help the country deal with the unprecedented demands brought about by the coronavirus outbreak. It contains a wide range of provisions including matters relating to food supply, emergency volunteers and NHS/local authority care and support. In terms of matters directly relevant the planning system, the Coronavirus Act and subsequent Regulations make provision for remote decision-making by Planning Committees. This will assist in overcoming the previous barrier set by legislation which required Councillors to be physically present at Planning Committee to determine planning applications.

LPAs are also being challenged to consider how they can continue to meet their publicity and consultation requirements on planning applications whilst working within the lockdown parameters.

The temporary legislation and measures in place seek to ensure planning applications can be validated, processed and determined without undue delay – and should effectively mean business as usual. Questions remain, however, as to how each LPA is responding to the ongoing crisis and what specific measures have been (or are being) put into practice at a local level to ensure that the planning system can continue to function.

As part of our ongoing response to the COVID-19 crisis we have been liaising with LPAs across the North East region to understand how they are implementing the new powers provided by the legislation. In summary, the majority of Councils in the North East are considering implementation of ‘Virtual’ Planning Committees to ensure key decisions can continue to be made. Some authorities, including North Tyneside, have also extended delegated powers to allow the Head of Planning to determine planning applications usually decided by planning committee. Almost all North East authorities also have measures in place to ensure that requirements to publicise and consult on planning applications will not unduly delay determination or result in a backlog once the lockdown ends [as of 20/4/20].

The position is rapidly changing, however, and it is important to remain live to the changing circumstances and associated opportunities and constraints.To assist with this, Lichfields has prepared a range of practical advice on how to maintain momentum in the planning system. This includes a live map for LPA COVID-19 planning responses across the country, an Economic Recovery Framework (designed to support local areas in developing their economic and policy response to COVID-19), guidance on consultation and engagement during lockdown and advice on Local Plan site promotion and Site Finding/Appraisals. Further information on these resources can be found here and our live LPA COVID-19 planning response tracker can be found here.

We remain in uncertain and challenging times, and the economic implications of the COVID-19 crisis are yet to be fully understood however, mechanisms are now in place to allow the planning system to continue to operate as normal.While challenges remain, and will continue to emerge, these mechanisms should be helpful to all businesses with development aspirations.

Please get in touch with Lichfields directly if you have any queries in relation to the current planning arrangements.

This blog has been prepared by Dominic Crowley, a Senior Planner at Lichfields’ Newcastle Office.