News

Schoolchildren across Lincolnshire have been inspired at the first day of Construction Week 2019, which showcases careers in architecture, building, quantity surveying and more.

Pupils from across the county attended the Lincolnshire Showground in West Lindsey, to get an insight into the construction industry from the best in the business. The event aims to raise awareness and interest in the diversity of careers available within the construction industry and runs until 3 October 2019.

LABC Chief Executive Paul Everall, announced he is to step down from his role at the end of December at LABC's 2019 President’s Reception at the Royal Society on 1 October. Guests were also given the news that current Deputy Chief Executive, Lorna Stimpson becomes joint Chief Executive with Paul for a three month handover period.

The LABC All Wales Building Excellence Awards took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cardiff on Friday 27 September. Over 100 guests from all over Wales attended the lunchtime event along with company representatives from across the industry including the likes of: Willmott Dixon, Jehu Group and Anwyl Homes.

The building control teams from six Midlands councils have joined forces to share their considerable knowledge and expertise.

On 12 September 2019, the building control teams from across six local authorities launched Central Building Control Partnership.

The new service is hosted by Lichfield District Council who is joined by Tamworth Borough Council, South Staffordshire Council, South Derbyshire District Council, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council and North Warwickshire Borough Council.

Throughout the year LABC run technical seminars across England and Wales. So far this year we've delivered seminars to 500 attendees in Milton Keynes, London, Chester, Swansea and Sussex.

These seminars are free for all construction professionals whether you're a builder, architect, designer or work in local authority building control.

Each seminar counts for 3.5 hours of CPD and provides an opportunity for delegates to hear from industry experts on:

LABC have submitted a letter in response to the Government's call for views on redress for purchasers of new build homes and a proposed New Homes Ombudsman. 

Paul Everall, LABC's Chief Executive wrote in the letter:

"LABC is supportive of the Government’s desire to improve consumer protection and access to redress within the new build sector and completely agrees with the creation of a New Homes Ombudsman to provide greater clarity, support and redress for the purchasers of new homes.

On 14 August 2019 Paul Timmins, Chief Executive of ACAI had an article published in Inside Housing in which he argued that the building control sector is on the cusp of disaster due to the difficulties some Approved Inspectors have faced when renewing their insurance. There were a number of factual inaccuracies in this article.

1.  Mr Timmins said, "The last insurer providing cover for approved inspectors pulled out of the market earlier this year, leaving dozens of approved inspectors unable to renew..."

A radical and wide-ranging set of measures to improve the competence of those who design, construct, inspect, maintain and operate higher risk residential buildings (HRRBs) and make them safer for the public has been set out by a cross-industry group backed by Government, the Industry Safety Steering Group and Dame Judith Hackitt.

LABC’s ISO standard quality management system has gone from strength to strength with more than 230 LABC teams receiving accreditation or on the way to do so. This represents 87% of the teams in a 3,500 strong network.