The building control process ensures that building work is carried out in compliance with the Building Regulations and associated legislation.
Collapse of private sector building control providers
We currently have severe backlogs with our service to customers who have reverted to using the council’s building control after the failure of the private sector company they had been using.
Changes to legislation and the closure of a series of large private sector firms have led to unprecedented demand for council building control services across the country. This demand is especially high in London.
This means we are not providing the service we would like to with those customers. We know this is having a direct impact to some residents and businesses, including holding up the sale of properties. We know how frustrating these delays are, and that they can cause real problems - from increased costs to difficulty selling a home and worry about whether work meets the necessary minimum standards.
We want to reassure you that every case will be reviewed and completed. The council’s priority is keeping residents safe and making sure your building work meets national regulations.
We are hiring extra staff to improve our response times, although competition for such staff means that this is likely to take some time. In the meantime, we recommend that residents and businesses who are able to do so, use appropriate private sector companies for a speedier response. You can find a list on the Building Safety Regulator’s website
The council will continue to fulfil our statutory duty to act as the service provider of last resort when no alternative provider can be found. However, we are prioritising safety issues when responding to applications, so we cannot guarantee response times.
If you have any questions, please contact the council’s customer services team on 020 8825 6000.
Changes to inspection schedule
Site inspections are now available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 4pm.
If you need an inspection on one of these days, please book as early as possible to secure availability.
