The Government’s support for the creation of a new single construction regulator is welcome news, but it needs to go further to create a full licensing scheme for building companies, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 Report.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said: “The Grenfell Tower inquiry report has a crucial role to play in ensuring lessons are learnt about building safety. The Government’s decision to act on all 58 recommendations set out in the report is welcome news, particularly the decision to create a new single construction regulator to make sure those responsible for building safety are fully accountable. This is something the FMB fully supports. However, a vital step to deliver long-term change must be the introduction of a licensing scheme to ensure domestic building companies have proven minimum competence. Currently anyone can call themselves a builder and this can’t be right, particularly for those working in the domestic building sector."
Berry continued: “The development of a minimum competency scheme for builders of major construction projects was a key recommendation of the inquiry. This needs to be extended to all construction workers. If we think the situation is challenging for Tier 1 firms, the picture for small building companies and sole-traders is even less clear, given they don't have inhouse resources for training and HR. The Government now has the opportunity to work with the construction sector to introduce a full licensing scheme for building companies, which will help drive up standards and make construction safer for both builders and consumers.”
