Red Tape Challenge

Lord Foster of Bath Excerpts

Thursday 4th July 2013 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Don Foster)]

Further to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Nick Boles), the Minister with responsibility for planning on, 31 January 2013, Official Report, columns 52-53WS, I would like to inform the House about the further consideration that has been given to the proposal to enable local authorities to provide building control services across local authority boundaries. This arose as part of my Department’s housing and construction theme for the red tape challenge when some local authorities indicated that they would like to provide building control services across boundaries to provide additional choice and consistency to small businesses.

The outcome is that we consider that local authorities in England may use the general power of competence provisions in the Localism Act 2011 to carry out such services outside of their local authority boundaries if they become approved inspectors. This opportunity should improve competition in the building control sector and help drive up standards. We will make local authorities aware of the provision in the Act to do this.

To become an approved inspector local authorities will need to set up a trading company which can then apply to the construction industry council for approval as an approved inspector. Local authority companies would only be able to act as approved inspectors in England outside of their local authority boundaries.

We will be providing further guidance to local authorities considering taking up this opportunity.