Building control update - what is the HSE/BSR?

MC Plan and Site Services Ltd is a Dorset based Registered Building Control Approver (RBCA), who were formerly known as Approved Inspectors and regulated by the Construction Industry Council up to September 2023.  After this date, the building control industry underwent an enormous transitional change, so that the new regulatory body has become the HSE/BSR (Health and Safety Executive / Building Safety Regulator).

Mark Cook, Managing Director of MC Plan and Site Services, first established the company in 2013. After serving in the armed forces and gaining over 10 years in the construction industry, Mark decided to gain a qualification in Building studies, learning and gaining knowledge of the design function, construction, and statutory requirements for buildings, and in 2000 Mark began his Building Inspector career working for a national Building Control company before then joining the Local Authority. After seeing a gap in the Building Control industry, Mark embarked and started MC Plan and Site Services. The company has seen significant growth over the past 10 years supporting local communities, householders, and established strong relationships across the Country with building professionals and national developers.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Dame Judith Hackitt was commissioned by the government to review the construction industry and all its associated processes with the target of ensuring safer construction and buildings. As a result, the Building Safety Regulator was formed as part of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to ensure that accountability and competency levels across the industry dramatically improved. Consequently, all building control bodies have been made to register as a Building Control Approver after undergoing a rigorous audit.

Client development (Image: Coane Construction)

The Building Control industry has now been brought under the auspices of the Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive. One of the key changes that all Building Control bodies needed to go through was the Surveyor Registration Process. Each Building Control provider was required to undertake and pass a significant auditing process to practise and manage projects as a Building Control Approver.

Since last September Mark has been carrying out a very proactive campaign within the company to ensure that not only the company, but his employed surveyors too, became registered within the government’s deadline date of 6th of April 2024. Through his dedicated approach to this new process, compliance was granted from the 1st of January 2024 for both his surveyors and also the company registration, resulting in MC Plan and Site Services being one of the lead achievers in England and Wales.

Mark, who coached and helped his team through the long process, said, “It was a long journey, but I believe as a company we supported and guided all our team stoically, to ensure the process was fully achievable with the best possible outcomes. We’ve welcomed these changes as they mirror the ethos and values of our company; our main priority has always been safety first. We’re looking forward to the future with lots of exciting projects ahead.”

Client development (Image: Edgewater Homes)

Sitting alongside MC Plan and Site Services Ltd is MC Warranty Services Ltd, which was founded back in 2019 by Mark’s son Jack Cook. MC Warranty Services Ltd offer a personalised, efficient, professional, structural and latent defects warranty brokerage working with homeowners, self-builders, developers, and contractors to source the most competitive quotes regardless of size and value. They act as a ‘One Stop Shop’, encompassing all the structural and latent defects insurance services under one roof in an efficient and competitively priced manner, taking the stress out of the structural warranty process whilst finding the best solution for the client.

MC Warranty Services Ltd work closely with all parties involved throughout the process, including the initial quoting phase, the duration of the build and at completion of works.

As a result of the major regulation changes with the HSE/BSR a key requirement under the new legislation is the role of the Principal Designer. The PD role is to support the design team inclusive of the Client and the Principal Contractor to achieve a safe and compliant building in accordance with the building regulations. Jack has formed a consultancy practice that is able to support this new role and responsibilities, enabling a smooth construction process through to the completion phase and achieving the final sign off from the appointed Building Control Approver.

Jack said, “With the introduction of the new legislation and working within the design team of the project this should improve both the standards of construction and competency levels of all appointed professionals and contractors inclusive of the sub-contractors being appointed. Accountability and competency have become the key bullet points within the new regime provided by the HSE/BSR.”

As a company, MC Plan and Site Services has been heavily involved in many different charity and community-focused projects, including re-building a local school in Nepal that had been decimated by an earthquake, supporting Routes to Roots, a local charity which offers temporary housing to the homeless, and the current community project they are working on is for Michael House, which focuses on providing the key to peoples’ life by reintegration and giving them the courage to become independent.

The MC Plan and Site Services team have prided themselves on working with all types of customers, from homeowners, sole traders, housing developers and national corporations; promoting integrity and providing outstanding customer service to all.

MC Plan and Site Services Ltd is an award winning company and is licensed and regulated to carry out building control throughout England and Wales.

For more information visit www.mcplanandsiteservices.co.uk or telephone 01202 744966.