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LABC Building Excellence Awards 2022

Entries for the LABC Building Excellence Awards are now open - there are Project Categories and People Categories.  Entries close on Friday 1 July 2022.

Entries can be submitted by anyone involved in the project, including contractors, architects, clients and local authority building control surveyors.  All entries will be endorsed by a local authority building control surveyor.            

Project Categories: People Categories:
Best residential extension  Best residential and small commercial designer
Best conversion or alteration to an existing home Best residential and small commercial builder
Best conversion  to a single new home Best residential site manager
Best individual new home Best non-residential site manager
Best new housing development* Construction specialist of the year
Best social housing development*  Public Service Superstar
Best purpose built accommodation^ Local authority building control newcomer of the year
Best non-residential extension or alteration Best partnership with a local authority building control team
Best non-residential conversion Local authority building control team of the year
Best non-residential new build  LABC Warranty site manager of the year+
Best public or community building  

 * split into small, medium and high volume depending on the number of units
^ such as student accommodation or care home
+ this award is managed by LABC Warranty, please contact your LABC Warranty account manager for further details

Site-based project nominees must have been completed between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021.

Find out more here: https://www.labc.co.uk/awards

 

LABC advice website for homeowners

LABC have launched a website called "LABC Front Door" which is for homeowners looking for general advice relating to building control regulations  and guidance to help you plan for your next home improvement project.  You can find out who your local authority building control team are, you can search for advice by choosing your project e.g. conservatory or bathroom or windows and doors to name just a few...!  There is information to help you choose your builder / contractor and more details about the Government Competent Persons scheme for those professionals who can certify their own work.  


COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Statement

The Government has announced that from Thursday 24 February 2022, the remaining domestic restrictions in England for COVID will be removed as we move to the next phase of living with COVID.

We will no longer be asking questions relating to COVID when booking your site inspections.  However, to ensure we protect our staff, we ask that you contact us to rearrange your appointment should you become or believe you have COVID.

Further information can be found on the Government website.


Dangerous Structures

As the local authority building control, we are responsible for inspecting a structure notified to us as dangerous - that is a structure that is a danger to life.  We can be notified by members of the public, other council departments or even by the police and fire service whilst they are in attendance.  

Our dangerous structure investigations can range from leaning walls and falling tiles to vehicles impacting buildings or fires causing structures to collapse.  We are unable to investigate dangers that are not related to structures.

Between January 1 2022 and 17 February 2022, we have been asked to investigate several dangerous structures.  We have investigated 1 house fire, 3 vehicle impacts with properties, 6 walls and fences amongst others.  We have issued 2 Section 78 Notices to date where emergency measures have had to be implemented.  A third of the reports have been assessed as not dangerous under the definition of dangerous structure in the Building Regulations Legislation.  However, this shows that we investigate all reports of dangerous structures.

On 18 February 2022 when Storm Eunice arrived, we registered 14 new dangerous structures in one day!  Our surveyors battled the storm and visited various sites according to priority.  Calls ranged from trees falling into houses, gable walls collapsing, a large flat roof hanging on by one corner to tiles and bricks.

Please be aware that the safety of our staff is as important as the safety of the public.


Successful Prosecution of Building Regulations Contraventions

STG Building Control Partnership has prosecuted a Medway builder, Lee Goodearl of KG Builders Ltd, under Section 35(1) of the Building Act.

The case was taken to Medway Magistrates’ Court and Mr Goodearl failed to attend court and the case was proved in his absence. 

The extension he was constructing had a number of contraventions:

The court fined Mr Goodearl £10,000 and ordered him to pay costs of £841 and a victim surcharge of £170, totalling £11,011.

Cllr Jane Chitty, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder covering Enforcement, said: “All building works must meet regulations in order to protect the safety of our residents. I am appalled that in this case the builder deliberately abused the trust of his customers and took payments throughout the works which have left them out of pocket and with works in contravention of the Building Regulations. I would encourage anyone who has any doubts over whether building works have been completed to the required standard to contact building control to report their concerns.”

 

STG Socials and Fund Raising

Throughout the year, STG officers take part in several events to raise money for charity, whether they are organised internally or externally.  For those events we organise in the office, we choose a different charity for different events. 

2021 saw another host of successful charity fundraisers here at STG.  We raised £280 in September for MacMillan Coffee Morning, £75 for Mind in October and our Festive Fundraiser for We Are Beams raised £150 in December.

In 2022, we will continue raising money for charities.  On 26 March 2022, some of our team took part in a Charity Fire Walk organised by We Are Beams.  The event raised a massive £14,000 overall!  Congratulations to all those brave people who took part.


Medway Council - Regeneration

As one of STG Building Control’s Partner Local Authorities, Medway Council’s strategy for improving the area for the benefit of all residents, workers and visitors is through a substantial regeneration programme. Please see the below attachment of the regeneration sites entitled "Putting Medway on The Map" and why Medway is a great place to live, work and visit.

 
 

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