Bernadette McArdle BEng. CEng. MIEI MIBCI
Building Control Officer
11 th March 2015

 1 st March 2014- Legislation introduced to amendment to Building Control procedures
 Overview
 pre 1 st March 2014
 BCMS- post 1 st March 2014
 Changes for owners/developers
 Changes for LA
Louth County Council Building Control

 The legislative framework of the building control system is contained in the following :
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Building Control Acts, 1990 and 2007
Building Control Regulations, 1997-2014
Building Regulations, 1997 to 2014
 The Building Control Act 1990 and the Building
Regulations/ Building Control Regulations came into effect on 1 June 1992.
 This established that City and County Councils were
Building Control Authorities.
Louth County Council Building Control

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The Act places a statutory duty and primary responsibility for compliance with the owners, the designers and the constructors
The purpose of the Building Regulations is
“ to promote good practice in the design and construction of buildings in the interests of health, safety and welfare of persons who use buildings .”
Building Control Regulations - matters of procedure, administration and forms required to be submitted
Louth County Council Building Control

Louth County Council Building Control

 Where building failures have occurred in the past there is evidence to suggest that there has been a lack of professional involvement on the site
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Lack of site supervision and expertise
Issues of compliance in building standards
Fire Safety issues
Pyrite
Consequences of poor practice
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Cost to the Taxpayer
Uninhabitable housing units
Past failures to comply with the Building Regulations not acceptable
Louth County Council Building Control

Government response: Announcement in July 2011 by Minister Hogan to Reform & Strengthen the
Building Control System in Ireland through the;
 the introduction of mandatory certificates of compliance
 the lodgment of drawings at both commencement and completion stages
 efficient pooling of building control staff/resources
 standardised approaches and common protocols-consistency
 better support and further development of the building control function nationwide
Louth County Council Building Control

 Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014
S.I. 9 of 2014 signed by the Minister on 21 st January 2014- to come into effect on 1 st March 2014
Louth County Council Building Control

Building Control (Amendment)
Regulations 2014
9
Louth County Council Building Control

For the owner/developer:
 1 form of commencement notice to be submitted with a fee of €30.00
From 1 st March 2014
 A number of forms to be submitted
 Information to be submitted
 Completion Certificate issued
Louth County Council Building Control

Pre – 1 st March 2014
Commencement
Notice
Form
Louth County Council Building Control

st
Owner
Designer
Assigned Certifier
Builder
Louth County Council Building Control

st
• Commencement Notice and Fee €30.00
• A Certificate of Compliance (Design)
• Notices of Assignment of
• Assigned Certifier who will inspect and certify the works
• Builder who will carry out the works
And
• Certificates of Compliance: An undertaking to carry-out their roles in accordance with the requirements of the Building
Regulations for both
• Assigned Certifier
• Builder
Louth County Council Building Control

st
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
General Arrangement Drawings including plans, sections and elevations
A schedule of design documents: plans, calculations, specifications etc. as are currently prepared or to be prepared
Complete an online-assessment via the
Building Control Management System
Technical specifications and design details showing compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations 1997 to 2014
Inspection plan- particular to the development
Louth County Council Building Control

Who can sign Design Certificate and Act as
Assigned Certifier?
Registered Professionals
15
(1)
Architects on register pursuant to Part 3 of the Building
Control Act 2007 or
(2)
Building Surveyors on register pursuant to Part 5 of the
Building Control Act 2007 or
(3)
Chartered Engineers on register pursuant to Section 7 of the
Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment)
Act 1969 and Competent: The regulations specifically require the Assigned
Certifier to be competent to inspect and certify the works
Louth County Council Building Control

BCMS – Building Control Management System
““Building Control Management System” means the information technology- based system hosted by the Local
Government Management Agency and developed to facilitate the electronic administration of building control matters by building control authorities as the preferred means of building control administration”
All information and forms to the submitted through the local government portal www.localgov.ie
From 1 st March 2014
Louth County Council Building Control

Louth County Council Building Control

 System developed by IT firm on behalf of
Local Government Management Agency
(LGMA) for all LA
 One system for BCMS nationally
 Live from 1 st March 2014
 Additional services will be added in future
Louth County Council Building Control

1 Online Registration
• Register to use BCMS system- owners, builders, designers, inspectors
• Confirm Contact Details – email
2 Submit: Commencement Notice / 7 Day Notice
• Enter Project Details
• Add Stakeholders
• Add Supporting Documents
• Make Payment
•
Signature Forms
– Print, Sign, Scan or Post
3 Certificate of Compliance on Completion CCC
Louth County Council Building Control

•Submitted to the BCA
•Signed by the builder and
Assigned Certifier
•Together with Tables of plans,
Calculations, Specifications, ancillary Certificates etc. to demonstrate compliance with the building regulations
•Or how the works differs from detail submitted at commencement stage
Louth County Council Building Control

Certificate of Compliance on Completion
BCA requesting 5 items (minimum)
1. Completed Form- signed by Assigned Certifier and Builder
2. Schedule of Documents -completion stage
3. Site inspection plan- Completed and signed, dated by AC
4. As-Constructed Drawing(s)
5. Details of how the works differs from details submitted at commencement stage- statement of variation
Together with any of the following as necessary:
•Tables of plans, Calculations, Specifications, ancillary
Certificates etc. to demonstrate compliance with the building regulations
•Part L Report & Final BER- for new buildings
Louth County Council Building Control

Validation of CCC
Building Control Authority Process CCC
Validation: have the 5 items been submitted ?
Depending on the building Type:
 Checks on compliance with conditions of Fire
Safety Cert and DAC granted
 Tables of plans, Calculations, Specifications, ancillary Certificates etc. to demonstrate compliance with the building regulations
 Do works differs from detail submitted at commencement stage ? Has this been highlighted on drawings
Louth County Council Building Control

 Building Control
 The CCMA suggested to the DOEHLG in 1991/2 that building control authorities inspect 12-15% of all new buildings.
 Additional Inspections
 Disability Access Certificates application
 Fire Safety Certificates application
 Regularisation Fire Safety Certificates applications
 Complaints
 Completion Stage
Louth County Council Building Control

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A commencement notice to be submitted along with
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 drawings, calculations, specifications and particulars demonstrating compliance with the building regulations
Certificate of compliance (design)
Notice of assignment signed by owner
Certificate of compliance
Inspection plan for duration of project
If Commencement notice not accompanied by ALL of above it will returned invalid
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Failure to submit a valid commencement notice is an offence.
A Certificate of compliance on completion to be submitted along the required information and how the works differs from commencement notice stage plans etc.
Louth County Council Building Control

 If you Fail to submit a commencement notice then you CANNOT obtain a
Certificate of Compliance on Completion
 Without this, the works or the building to which the regulations applies CANNOT be
“opened, occupied or used”
Louth County Council Building Control

Impacts
 Benefits:
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Enhance the quality of building consumer confidence in housing market
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Consumer rights- someone to follow up with on issues of defects
Costs – to be borne by the consumer cost for inspection and certifying works
 additional costs in drawings, specifications etc.
Louth County Council Building Control

Impacts
 Compliance burden on third parties
 Person signing of on works- PI insurance necessary, professional titles and registration
 Builders- registration system in place on www.ciri.ie
Construction Industry Register
Ireland
 Training
 Change in business practices- inspections, documentation, record keeping etc.
 New IT system: scanning, emailing,
Louth County Council Building Control

Impacts
 Local Authority
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 staff allocation both technical and admin
Information to public
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New way of doing business
National system for all BCA- knowledge sharing
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Enforcement and Prosecutions
IT system still under development- CCC
Louth County Council Building Control

 Department of Environment website
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 http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/BuildingStanda rds www.localgov.ie
Thank you for your attention.
Louth County Council Building Control