Agenda item

The report recommends a change in the staffing establishment to appoint a new Business Manager for the Building Control team.

Recommendation

It is recommended to the Council that the staffing establishment be amended to create the post of Business Manager and delete one Principal Surveyor post.

1.         The building control function is a statutory service that enforces minimum standards of design, construction, accessibility, safety, energy efficiency, carbon emissions and other features of buildings, particularly during the construction phase.  It sits within the Planning Service.

2.         Unlike other statutory services operated by local authorities, it is subject to competition from the private sector.  Householders, architects and builders can choose to obtain the necessary certificates of compliance with the building regulations from a local authority or from an Approved Inspector.

3.         Local authorities are required to fix their charges with the aim of covering the costs of running the trading account for the service, but are not permitted to make surpluses from the operation.  In addition, local authorities have a number of statutory duties, including inspecting dangerous structures and ensuring compliance with aspects of health and safety legislation that are undertaken by building control officers on behalf of the Council and are non fee-earning.

4.         The consequence of this commercial environment a significant amount of work (of the order of 20-25%) has now moved to the private sector, affecting the Council’s ability to operate a cost-effective service.  In response to these changes, alongside a desire to ensure that the service is not a burden on the Council’s resources, posts have been reduced.  This, in turn, has resulted in other challenges, relating to the management and performance of the service.

5.         In June 2014, Fortismere Associates were appointed by Waverley Borough Council to undertake a review of the building control service to address the above issues.  They reported in September 2014 and set out a number of recommendations.

6.         The key components of the recommendations are:

1.    Create a vision for the service with a clearly articulated set of goals, objectives and service standards;

2.    Identify a champion for the service who will:

manage the performance of individuals;

gather the management information necessary to assess its current performance and the costs associated with delivering different elements;

make the case for investment in IT to enable enhanced efficiency and electronic working;

prepare a business plan that includes detailed financial forecasts;

promote the service to existing and potential customers;

develop a customer charter;

ensure that the service directly contributes to the delivery of corporate objectives.

3.    Use the opportunities presented by the recent office move and vacancies to restructure the team, provide much closer integration with other planning service functions and introduce new methods of working.

7.         Key to the success of the team is the appointment of a Business Manager to be responsible for the operational direction of the team.  This is a new post replacing the Building Control Manager post which has been vacant for two years and for which funding has been removed.  The funding of the new post can be met from the deletion of a principal surveyor post which is currently vacant following the retirement in July of the previous post holder. It is not essential that the post holder is a building control professional though some knowledge of the building industry would be preferable. The key skills needed are performance management, business planning and marketing.

8.         The staffing structure of the team will be finalised in consultation with the Business Manager when appointed.

The Executive now

RECOMMENDS that

45.       the staffing establishment be amended to create the post of Business Manager and deletion of one Principal Surveyor post.

[Reason: To seek approval for a change in the staffing establishment to appoint a new Business Manager]