Pro Installer June 2015 - Issue 27 | Seite 4

4 JUNE 2015 PRO INSTALLER PRO NEWS www.proinstaller.co.uk PAY AS YOU GO FOR TRADESMEN Part L 2014 (Wales) transitional provisions to expire 31 July 2015 Instead of the original FENSA route to compliance through random inspections, FENSA Pay As You Go companies will have all jobs inspected (similar to going through Local Authority Building Control) and will have no need to hold an MTC Card, or provide mandatory Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs). To qualify to meet the transitional provisions put in place for Part L 2014 (Wales) an initial notice, building notice or full plans submission must have been served before 31 July 2014 and work should have been commenced on site before 31 July 2015. Where a site meets the transitional provisions, Part L 2014 (Wales) will not apply. FENSA Pay As You Go is the new surveillance process that enables companies to demonstrate Building Regulations compliance without individual operatives having to hold an MTC, (Minimum Technical Competency) Card. It is designed for companies that infrequently install replacement windows and doors in domestic properties. FENSA Pay As You Go companies will still need to be ‘Certified’ to demonstrate competence and undertake a document and procedures audit at an onsite Certification inspection. The Certification inspection will be repeated every three years. “The introduction of requirements for individuals to hold an MTC card to prove their competence to MTCs and provide IBGs for self-certifying companies on the original FENSA scheme has introduced an extra level of administration that many companies who infrequently install are ‘open to any installation company, whatever their size’ finding difficult to deal with,” explained FENSA managing director Chris Mayne. “There seemed a need for a route to compliance which still came under the FENSA name, but omitted the need for operatives to hold MTC Cards or companies to provide IBGs. FENSA Pay As You Go is a direct alternative to the Local Authority Building Control compliance route and has been priced keenly to reflect this.” Under FENSA Pay As You Go all installations receive an inspection visit at a cost of £125 each (excluding VAT) that includes the notification fee. FENSA will be discounting this charge to £100 for a limited period to encourage as much sign up as possible and minimise potential black market activity. Appropriate homeowner financial protection against Building Regulations non-compliance will be provided by FENSA through an independently managed fund, to which a contribution is made within the Pay As You Go fee. Though FENSA Pay As You Go has been designed specifically for companies that infrequently install replacement glazing in domestic properties, it is open to any installation company, whatever their size. Companies can immediately register interest in FENSA Pay As You Go by emailing PAYG@ fensa.org.uk Builders who submitted sites to NHBC ahead of the implementation of Part L 2014 in Wales should note that the date by which a commencement should be recorded in order to ensure the site fully meets the transitional provisions is fast approaching. What is commencement of works? In the Welsh Government’s opinion the commencement of work would usually be marked by work such as: • excavation for strip or trench foundations or for pad footings • digging out and preparation of ground for raft foundations • vibro-floatation (stone columns) piling, boring for piles or pile driving • drainage work specific to the building(s) concerned. Seriously Low Prices! Make great savings right across our extensive range of products. For glass supplies and so much more, visit crlaurence.co.uk The Welsh Government considers that the following sorts of work would not be likely to constitute the commencement of work: • removal of vegetation, top soil or removal/treatment of contaminated soil • demolition of any previous buildings on the site • excavation of trial holes • dynamic compaction • general site servicing works (e.g. roadways) In some cases applications will be in respect of a number of buildings on a site, for example a number of houses. In such cases it is the commencement of work on the first of the buildings within the application which determines whether all the building work can take advantage of the transitional provisions, not each individual building. What to do next Builders who have already submitted an initial notice to NHBC Building Control but who have not yet carried out a commencement should contact their NHBC Building Inspector as soon as possible to arrange for a suitable inspection to be carried out and recorded before the 31 July 2015. FROM ONLY £4 .99 BASED ON ORDERING 12 TUBES MS POLYMER ADHESIVE INSTANT GRAB EG310ULTRA CRL - The glaziers choice