Working together
Partner authority scheme
The Partner Authority Scheme allows a company to partner with a Local Authority of its own choice. The Partner Authority will deal with all aspects of design including plans examination, pre-application advice, and all necessary consultations, including the fire service, wherever the project is located within England and Wales. Site inspections will be carried out by the Local Authority in whose area the project is to be built, but in close liaison with the Partner Authority.
Calderdale Building Control Services, with the help of clients, designers and contractors from industry has adopted the Partner Authority Scheme, a totally new and practical approach to obtaining Building Regulations Approval, eliminating inconsistency, uncertainty and delays. There are no additional charges under the new scheme.
How it works
Once a Partner Authority Scheme has been agreed, the coordinator will arrange for representatives from the company and the local authority to meet to discuss the details and scope of the partnership. The first meeting should be seen as an occasion to begin building a good relationship. To this end there should be a frank exchange of information aimed at establishing a clear understanding of the requirements needed by the company and the local authority for the partnership to work. Shortly after the meeting the Partner Authority will submit to the LANTAC coordinator the Registration Form to enable the partnership to be registered under the schemes.
Making the application
A Full Plans application form, available to print, will be submitted like any other application. The charges for an application will be based on the inspecting local authority's scale of charges.
Preconstruction stage
The preconstruction stage can be frustrating for the Partner Company, for it is in this period that unforeseen delays from different sources may arise. The aim of the Partner Authority Scheme is to reduce unnecessary delays by statutory procedures, to speed up the process and to provide a uniform interpretation of the Building Regulations. The Partner Authority accomplishes this by liaising with the Inspecting Local Authority, providing professional advice to the Partner Company and gaining familiarity with their design concepts.
When a project is placed under the scheme
- The Partner Company invites the Partner Authority at an early stage to give ongoing advice on the application of the Building Regulations to all aspects of the design.
- The Partner Company submits a Full Plans Application together with the appropriate Building Control Service Charge to the Inspecting Local Authority.
- The Inspecting Local Authority deals with all local statutory consultations and advises the Partner Authority of the responses and local knowledge.
- The Partner Authority issues a Decision Advice Notice to the Inspecting Local Authority once the design is satisfactory.
Construction stage
The Inspecting Local Authority carries out the site inspections. This guarantees a speedy response and ensures critical local knowledge held with the Local Authority will continue to be available to the Partner Company during construction. The Inspecting Local Authority will deal with deviations from the approved plans, although a major design change could necessitate the involvement of the Partner Authority to maintain consistency of interpretation. The process can be aided by support from the LANTAC coordinator where third party advice may be required to the decision process.
