Housing Policy Technical Guidance SPD
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Housing Policy Technical Guidance SPD
Housing Policy Technical Guidance SPD
Representation ID: 16105
Received: 20/02/2023
Respondent: Mr Ron Beckett
2.2 New Buildings.
Overall Objective. (As stated in The Local Plan for Central Bedfordshire)
Ensure Council-led and commissioned capital building projects embrace sustainability, are energy efficient, water-efficient, low carbon, and economically viable, based on a sound business case and robust WLC. In doing so, the Council will lead by example for developers in the area.
These high ambitions prompted me to offer commentary on the quality of house building
My previous experience drives me to ask for a stronger policy enforcement body applying the rules governing the build quality of new houses.
I am a new-property owner in Houghton Regis, and had 'snags' forced on me by the fact of having to buy the house before I moved in. The 'snags' were, in my opinion, the result of incompetent supervision, poorly trained tradespeople, and carelessness of casual labour.
The current regulations allow the builders to check their own work, and sign off each stage as satisfactory before moving on to the next stage. The actual work of building is done by contract labour authorised by their employer. There is no demand placed on them to train their employees to a standard that is fit for purpose, or to supervise the quality of the work done during the building process. The contractor doing the work is forced by financial penalty to come back and deal with the problems they have left behind, instead of having a work ethic that prevents it happening at all.
There is much more to be said about building regulations that I am not qualified to say. The Council will be aware that there is much recorded evidence in the public area that condemns the build quality of the last decades.
I will be happy if you can find a place in the Local Plan, Overall Objective, to include a discussion and conclusion that will make better houses and happier buyer/residents.
HP02
A03
2.2 New Buildings.
Overall Objective. (As stated in The Local Plan for Central Bedfordshire)
Ensure Council-led and commissioned capital building projects embrace sustainability, are energy efficient, water-efficient, low carbon, and economically viable, based on a sound business case and robust WLC. In doing so, the Council will lead by example for developers in the area.
These high ambitions prompted me to offer commentary on the quality of house building
My previous experience drives me to ask for a stronger policy enforcement body applying the rules governing the build quality of new houses.
I am a new-property owner in Houghton Regis, and had 'snags' forced on me by the fact of having to buy the house before I moved in. The 'snags' were, in my opinion, the result of incompetent supervision, poorly trained tradespeople, and carelessness of casual labour.
The current regulations allow the builders to check their own work, and sign off each stage as satisfactory before moving on to the next stage. The actual work of building is done by contract labour authorised by their employer. There is no demand placed on them to train their employees to a standard that is fit for purpose, or to supervise the quality of the work done during the building process. The contractor doing the work is forced by financial penalty to come back and deal with the problems they have left behind, instead of having a work ethic that prevents it happening at all.
There is much more to be said about building regulations that I am not qualified to say. The Council will be aware that there is much recorded evidence in the public area that condemns the build quality of the last decades.
I will be happy if you can find a place in the Local Plan, Overall Objective, to include a discussion and conclusion that will make better houses and happier buyer/residents.
