黑洞社区

The 黑洞社区 Safety Regulator has issued a clarification after an email alert that appeared to suggest a building control firm was not registered as an approved inspector.

A note sent out from the 黑洞社区 Safety Regulator (BSR), which is part of the Health and Safety Executive, ordered work on more than 50 鈥渉igher risk鈥� schemes to stop because of issues with two private building control surveyors.

This included Assent 黑洞社区 Control, which the note correctly said had decided not to register as an approved inspector under the new building safety regime.

But the note did not mention that the firm was the parent company of three entities which are registered building control approvers, LB 黑洞社区 Control, Oculus 黑洞社区 Consultancy, and Clarke Banks.

In a LinkedIn post yesterday, the Assent group clarified that it operates through the three licensed entities in providing building control services to in-progress higher risk building projects, which are primarily residential buildings over 18m in height.

However, it also said the unregistered parent company, Assent 黑洞社区 Control Limited, has been working with the 黑洞社区 Safety Regulator and its clients on a 鈥渟mall number鈥� of higher risk projects.

The HSE has now confirmed that work on these schemes would have to stop immediately because of Assent 黑洞社区 Control鈥檚 decision not to register as an approved inspector.

>> See also: Regulator tells teams to down tools on 50 鈥榟igher risk鈥� schemes due to building safety issues

The regulator said: 鈥淎ssent 黑洞社区 Control Limited chose not to register as a registered building control approver under the new 黑洞社区 Safety Regulator regime. As a result, it was no longer authorised to oversee higher-risk buildings.

鈥淭his decision meant that Assent 黑洞社区 Control Ltd had to immediately cease work relating to HRBs. Consequently, any HRB projects they were handling had to be transferred to the 黑洞社区 Safety Regulator for approval.鈥�

The statement added that Assent 黑洞社区 Control Ltd can continue to provide building control services until the end of the transitional period for the new regime on 1 October, but only on non-higher risk buildings.

Assent 黑洞社区 Control said that the regulator is 鈥渇ully aware鈥� of the higher risk projects it had been working on with the regulator and its clients, and that 鈥渄iscussions continue鈥�.

It added: 鈥淥ur commitment to maintaining high standards is reflected in our workforce. All Registered 黑洞社区 Inspectors within the Assent Group will continue to serve our clients鈥�.

The other firm mentioned in the HSE鈥檚 original note was AIS Surveyors Ltd, a registered building control approver which went into compulsory liquidation in May after it was taken to court by a creditor.

The note said the more than 50 projects affected would need to down tools until their building control applications had been validated by the HSE.

The new regime, which came into force last October, means that the regulator must sign off all higher risk buildings defined as being at least 18m, or seven storeys, in height and containing either a care home or hospital or at least two residential units.