Executive Summary, overview of the service

The Building Control department at Tonbridge & Malling Council ensures that building work within the Tonbridge & Malling Borough area complies with national Building Regulations, safeguarding public health, safety, welfare, and accessibility.

It is a statutory service, which administers legislation relating to the built environment and operates in such a manner as to establish and maintain a high reputation for both itself and the Council. It therefore aims to provide a responsive service, which is of a consistently high standard and gives value for money to all its customers.

The service has two elements, which are described as fee earning and non-fee earning work. The building regulation aspect of the service is income generating and in accordance with The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 and CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting) accounting requirements. This aspect of the business must be self-financing over a continuous three-year rolling period. The non-fee earning part of the service is funded by the council tax payer and includes dealing with dangerous structures, enforcement, demolitions, support for the safety advisory groups and consultancy services to other Council services.

Fee earning work (income generating)

Validating and registering building control applications, checking applications for compliance, issuing statutory notices, carrying out site inspections and issuing completion certificates. All within statutory time limits and new BSR Guidelines.

Providing technical and professional guidance to members of the public, external agencies and other departments within the Council and externally where appropriate, including building regulations compliance and warranty inspection notes.

Non-fee earning work (Council funded)

Includes:

• responding to dangerous structure reports including co-ordinating the response of external bodies such as structural engineers or statutory undertakers
• process demolition notices
• carrying out enforcement action
• providing technical and professional support to the safety advisory groups and consultancy services and to other departments within the Council
• reporting KPI’s and data collection as required under to BSR Operational Standard Rules and other statistical reporting required by central government
• responding to Freedom of Information and Service Area Requests in line with council policies

Local Authority Building Control is subject to significant competition from private sector building control bodies (approved inspectors or RBCA’s) operating both regionally and nationally. This competitive scenario is applicable across all types of developments providing applicants a clear choice between the Local Authority Building Control service (LABC) and private sector building control Approved Inspector (RBCA) services.

Competition has ensured that the service provided must compete effectively both in terms of level of service and cost. Nationally, there are 150+ registered Approved Inspectors. This number has levelled off or declined in the past couple of years due to insurance issues and the rules and regulation changes coming into force post Grenfell.

Government and BSR (Building Safety Regulator) Legislation and Regulation in place from April 2024 brings uniformity to LABC and AI services including validation assessments, registrations, operational standards and Codes of Conducts. However, the Local Authority retains the statutory duty of the enforcement of the Building Regulations in its area. Approved Inspectors have no statutory authority to perform this function and sites which cannot be signed off by AI’s revert back to local authorities for enforcement. Thus, irrespective of workload and income, Local Authority must retain a building control service at some cost to the authority.

Despite increasing competition from Approved Inspectors and growing pressures on local government finances, the service remains committed to maintaining high standards, financial self-sufficiency, and excellent customer service.

Our service is also subject to a continuous programme of both administrative and technical legislative change. This means that management objectives and priorities may change at short notice. In 2024 saw the introduction of a newly revamped exhaustive set of new validation criteria for surveying staff to accomplish. In addition, the introduction of new Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), Operational Standard Reporting (OSR) and the Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICoF) via Government and the BSR (Building Safety Regulator)

The BSR have introduced a register for all building control surveyors across the country. Every single building control surveyor will need to pass validation at one of three levels and then apply to be on the formal register. Validation effectively means passing a 3 hour review module (similar to a theory driving test – mixture of multiple choice and longer questions) which will validate your competency level at either residential, general/commercial or complex building levels. Anyone not validated by October 2024 will not be able to carry out site visits or plan checking until they do pass.

This business plan outlines how the department will sustain and grow its approximate £350k annual income through service improvement, digital transformation, commercial partnerships, and workforce development.

Current Position

Income predicted 2025 - 2026: Approx. £360,000

Previous Income;

• 2022 – 2023: £392,000
• 2023 – 2024: £322,000
• 2024 – 2025: £325,000
• 2025 – 2026: £385,000 (forecast)

Staffing:

• 1 x Building Control Team Leader (Registered Building Inspector)
• 2 x Senior Building Control Surveyors (Registered Building Inspectors)
• 1 x Building Control Surveyor (Registered Building Inspector)
• 1 x Trainee Building Control Surveyor (Registered Building Inspector)
• 2 x Technical/Administrative Support

Core Services:

• Building Regulation application assessment
• Site inspections
• Dangerous structures
• Demolition notifications
• Enforcement and public safety response

Market Context:

• Competition from private sector Approved Inspectors.
• Increasing complexity of regulatory environment (Building Safety Act, Gateway system).
• Need for digital efficiency and customer-focused service.

Vision and Objectives

Vision:

“To deliver a trusted, efficient, and financially sustainable Building Control service that ensures safe, compliant, and high-quality development across the borough.”

Strategic Objectives:

1. Maintain bsi UKAS 9001 Quality Assurance certification.
2. Maintain statutory compliance and service quality.
3. Achieve annual income growth year-on-year in line with inflation.
4. Improve digital processes and customer experience.
5. Strengthen partnerships with developers, architects, and residents.
6. Develop staff skills in response to the Building Safety Act and new regulatory regimes.

Market Analysis

Opportunities:

• Increased local development activity (housing and regeneration projects).
• New duties under the Building Safety Act (higher-risk buildings).
• Local reputation for reliability and technical expertise.

Threats:

• Loss of market share to private Approved Inspectors.
• Recruitment and retention challenges.
• Rising operational costs (IT, training, vehicles).

Target Customers:

• Local developers, architects, and contractors.
• Domestic builders and homeowners.
• Internal council projects and housing programmes.

Service Improvement Plan

Risk Management

Performance Indicators

Governance and Reporting

• Monthly application performance reports to Head of Planning and Service Director.
• Quarterly reports in line with OSR (operational Standard Rules).
• Quarterly housing returns.
• Annual financial review and fee benchmarking.
• Regular staff meetings and peer review of complex cases.

Conclusion

This business plan sets out a clear route to maintain business sustainability and service excellence for Building Control within Tonbridge & Malling.

Through digital innovation, skilled staff, and proactive customer engagement, the department will continue to deliver trusted and compliant services that ensures safeguarding public health, safety, welfare, and accessibility.