Local Authority Building Control Charge Reforms

The Government has proposed changes to Local Authority Building Control that would enable them to charge for services relating to, for example, Initial Notices and Final Certificates, that are currently provided without charge. The Government states that the additional costs are ‘expected to be passed on to consumers through higher prices, as this is an industry-wide regulation.’ The changes would affect only England. A recent consultation on the proposals closed on 25 January.

The consultation described the ‘Problem under consideration:

Building Control as a Local Authority service has been in decline for many years, resulting in services that have often become ill-equipped to support sustained major housing, public sector and commercial development ambitions and requirements. Symptoms of this include a workforce that is skewed to people fast approaching retirement, under-resourced services, and a workforce lacking in necessary skills or sufficient numbers to help the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) in its work through Multi-Disciplinary Teams in assessing proposed works regarding higher-risk buildings (HRBs).

This consultation seeks views on reforming Local Authority Building Control services. The reforms would allow Local Authorities to charge users for more activities on a fuller cost-recovery basis.

The expected outcomes of these reforms include:

making services more financially sustainable
more recruitment and development of Registered Building Inspectors
better compliance with the Building Regulations’

Following publication of this consultation paper, MHCLG intends to continue engaging with key stakeholders on the proposals, and to consider such engagement alongside any written responses to the consultation.

Where there is support for proposals, the intention is to regulate to give Local Authority Building Control bodies, and in one instance, the BSR, the power to make charges for services that reflect the cost of delivering Building Control functions.

The current aim is to lay any regulations later in 2026.

More info: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/building-control-charges-notices-and-certificates/building-control-charges-notices-and-certificates

Impact Assessment: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/building-control-charges-notices-and-certificates/assessment-of-impacts