Former ODPM adviser calls for halt to new regulations

The former head of the ODPM’s building division has called for a halt to the introduction of building regulations.

Paul Everall, who was the senior regulations adviser to ministers for 13 years, this week called for a “period of consolidation”.

Everall, now chief executive of Local Authority Building Control, said: “As enforcers we would like to see a period of consolidation before there are too many changes. The general feeling of LABC members is that there has been too much regulation.”

Everall said the number of new and revised rules had significantly increased the workload of building control officers. He said: “Perhaps not enough attention has been paid to the enforcement of regulatory issues in the past.”

Building control officers will be in the front line once again when the latest version of the energy regulation Part L is introduced in April 2006.

Everall said the LABC was developing proposals for the ODPM and Local Government Association for legislation that could ease the burden of building control officers.

This process includes assessing the impact of self-certification and the robust details scheme, which are intended to allow the industry to approve its own work.

The general feeling of LABC members is that there has been too much regulation

Paul Everall, Local Authority Building Control

However, Everall said that approval of the main building elements should remain within the remit of building control.

He said: “It’s very important that building control officers focus on high-risk issues.

Self-certification may be more appropriate for things like replacement glazing.”

Everall said that the implementation of the self-certification scheme for Part P, which governs electrical installations, had gone more smoothly than some had expected, but further improvements could be made. He said: “There needs to be a better flow of information between local authorities and the competent person.”

During his time at the ODPM, Everall oversaw the move towards performance-based regulations and the introduction of new rules such as Part P and changes to Part B, which governs fire safety.