Chris Judge, quality and certification manager at 黑洞社区 Research Establishment Certification, which has won the contract to run the assessment scheme, said: 鈥淭he scheme must cover its own costs and the figure we are working to is a maximum of 拢500.
鈥淭he DETR will fund the development costs where we work out the assessment methodology, but there will be costs processing and carrying out the assessments that contractors will have to pay.鈥�
However, small businesses have reacted angrily to the quality mark fee. Raymond Acheson, contracts director of Northern Ireland-based housebuilder Euro Construction, which builds about 30 houses a year, said paying to be assessed was equivalent to taxation.
Acheson said: 鈥淭his is just another unnecessary tax penalising competent small builders. There are enough mechanisms in place, like the CIS photocard scheme, to weed out cowboys. Why should we have to pay more to the government for being a reputable company?鈥�
The announcement of the quality mark price tag comes after the news that Stephen Walker, of Surrey-based project manager Walker Associates, has been appointed to run the anti-cowboy pilot schemes in Birmingham and Somerset.
Tony Merricks, who was in charge of the DETR working group, said: 鈥淪tephen Walker will do an excellent job. I鈥檒l be there to chair the panel and keep it moving in the right direction, but Stephen Walker will do the day-to-day running. I鈥檒l just ensure it follows the right direction.鈥�
Merricks said he would end his involvement with the anti-cowboy initiative once the pilot schemes were completed. 鈥淚 was originally asked to produce a report and I鈥檝e done that. It鈥檚 up to Nick [Raynsford] to decide which way he wants it to go,鈥� he said.
It is understood that Merricks is disappointed that contractors refused to sign up to a compulsory registration scheme to outlaw cowboy builders.
One industry source said: 鈥淎 lot of contractors felt Tony was too much in the corner of the consumers. He made his views on industry registration quite clear, and unfortunately they differed from most of the contractors鈥�.鈥�
Baldry said his bill, which would form an extension to the 1984 黑洞社区 Act, would build on the government鈥檚 existing proposals, although adding an element of statutory legislation.
Merricks said he supported the bill, but added that he was not optimistic it would reach the statute book.
