HVCA president John Miller has challenged the Government to enforce important changes introduced last year to Part L of the Building Regulations.
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| HVCA President John Miller |
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“Along with many other interests across construction, the HVCA welcomed the Part L revisions, which introduced tighter energy efficiency requirements for h&v projects in new and existing buildings,” the president pointed out.
In particular, this had involved a broadening of the range of work that must be notified to local authority building control for inspection and approval, and the development of Competent Persons schemes that allow suitably qualified contractors to self-certify their work as complaint with the regulations.
“The HVCA’s disquiet arises from the fact that - having put such enlightened and environmentally responsible legislation in place - the Government seems unable, or unwilling, to enforce it,” said Mr Miller.
And he added that many of his members reported that, not only were building control departments up and down the country failing to police the regulations. Many of them were quite deliberately turning a blind eye to the new regime.
“Our representations on this key issue to the Department for Communities and Local Government have so far gone unrewarded,” the president insisted. “Government must put its house in order on an issue that has massive implications not only for engineering services, not only for construction, but - ultimately - for the nation and the planet.
“Positive action must be taken now,” Mr Miller concluded. “The new regulations have teeth. Now they must be made to bite.”
John Miller was speaking at the HVCA President’s Luncheon 2007, which was held at the British Association of Film and Television Arts, London W1, on Thursday 13 September.
Earlier in his address, Mr Miller reminded his audience - which included MPs, peers, senior civil servants and representatives of other construction industry bodies - that there was ”a pressing need” for all parties to the supply chain to recognise and acknowledge the extent to which their interests were “inextricably linked” to those of others.
“Our objective is to work in partnership with organisations that share our aims, our values and our aspirations,” the president explained.
On the HVCA’s increasingly close relationship with the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) and the “shared vision” of a single body to represent mechanical and electrical contractors, Mr Miller stressed that this would ultimately be decided by the membership.
“Much consultation and debate must therefore take place before we can move forward towards what we call ‘convergence’,” said the president.
Mr Miller went on to remind his audience that the Oxford Dictionary defined “co-operation” as “the process of working together towards the same end”, and “alliance” as “a union based on common interests and formed for mutual benefit”.
“Such concepts - of common interest, of mutual benefit, of collaborative working - lie at the heart of the HVCA’s current mission, and our vision for the future.”
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