Issue - meetings

The report of the Executive Manager – Communities.

The Executive Manager – Communities presented a report to provide the Group with an opportunity to review the performance of the Building Control partnership with South Kesteven District Council that delivered Rushcliffe Borough Council’s and Newark and Sherwood District Council’s Building Control services through the East Midlands Building Consultancy. The Executive Manager noted that the partnership had been formed in 2014 between the three Councils in order to improve resilience and reduce costs and advised that the three chief executives of the Council’s held meetings every six months in order to monitor the partnership and its performance.

A presentation was delivered by the Office Administration Team Leader and the two Lead Officers from the East Midlands Building Consultancy which covered the partnerships performance to date and an outline of future plans and initiatives. The presentation covered:

·         The historical cost of building control

·         The journey of East Midlands Building Control

·         Fee earning services

·         Non-fee earning services

·         Discretionary services

·         Our vision

·         Market Share

·         Customer feedback

·         Staff

·         How we work

·         LABC Awards 2018

Members of the Group asked if there were possibilities of additional local authorities joining the partnership. The Executive Manager noted that if other local authorities were to join it would make the partnership more complex. The Assistant Director – Commercial and Operational stated that since the partnership was formed in 2014 the team had increased its resilience despite competition from private sector building control providers. With regard to the performance of the partnership it was noted that for larger buildings and developments, drawings would reach East Midlands Building Control in stages and so it was hard for the team to monitor the speed in which applications were processed. 

Members of the Group were advised that the East Midlands Building Consultancy relied on the public to report concerns and that it was usually the police, neighbours or the fire service who would do this. It was noted that building control was a competitive service and that it was exclusively down to the owner or applicant of a property to contact them, the Executive Manager did however advise that an email link to the East Midlands Building Consultancy was provided in correspondence with residents who applied for planning permission through Rushcliffe Borough Council. The Group were pleased to note that electronic application forms and online methods of payment were available for residents.

The Chairman thanked the officers from the East Midlands Building Consultancy and the Assistant Director – Commercial and Operations from South Kesteven District Council for delivering their presentation and for answering their questions.

It was RESOLVED that the report of the Executive Manager – Communities be noted.