Report warns over building control’s ageing workforce

The building control sector is facing a skills crisis with just 2.6% of officers under the age of 24, the latest report has revealed.

The annual study on building control performance for the year 2012-2013, carried out by the Building Control Standards Advisory Group (BCSAG) for the Department for Communities and Local Government, drew on survey responses from 141 organisations, comprising 59 Approved Inspectors and 82 local authority building control departments.

It found that 24% of the average building control bodies’ work force are aged over 55, compared to 22.6% in 2011-2012. In addition, just 2.6% are under 24, compared to 3.2% the previous year, and 11% are under 30. The report concludes that building control will face significant problems replacing experienced staff as the workforce approaches state pension age.

In the report’s introduction, past CIOB president and chair of the BCSAG, Alan Crane, stated: “One area which I believe continues to be, and perhaps increasingly, of major concern is the age profile data. This must raise questions as to whether building control bodies will have the right people in sufficient volume with experience, competencies and specialist knowledge to match future customer and industry needs and to perform in all sectors.”

On a more positive note, the report showed that complaint rates against building control bodies were very low, with the average organisation receiving only one complaint per 268 applications, which equates to approximately three or four complaints each for the year.

However, building control bodies did not perform as well when dealing with complaints that did arise. On average just 62% of complaints were resolved satisfactorily, a drop from 67% the previous year, and 19% of complaints were sufficiently severe to be escalated to organisations including Local Authority Building Control, the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors, Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register, Building Control Alliance or the Local Government Ombudsman.

In terms of workloads, the report found that domestic alterations, extensions and improvements made up, on average, 74% of applications, but represented only 61% of fees. There were relatively fewer numbers of new build homes, commercial and public building alterations, and commercial and public new builds but these earned higher building control fees. Overall the mean building control fee charged per application was £627.

Skill levels among building control staff was up on average for the year, with 59% of staff fully qualified with corporate membership of relevant professional bodies, compared to 55% in 2011-12.

The BCSAG is required to submit an annual performance report to government to prove that it is able to meet the needs of customers as well as provide information to support self-improvement.