Building Standards Customer Charter- April 2024-2025
Introduction
The purpose of the Building Standards system is to protect the public interest. The system sets out the essential standards that are required to be met, when building work or conversion of a building takes place, to meet building regulations.
The Building Standards system checks that proposed building work or conversion of a building meets standards; inspections are limited to a minimal necessary to ensure that legislation is not avoided. The
control of work on site is not down to the system but is a matter for contracts and arrangements in place between a builder and client.
Verifiers appointed by Scottish Ministers are responsible for the independent checking of applications for Building Warrants to construct or demolish buildings, to provide services, fittings, or equipment in
buildings, or for conversions.
Building Standards is the service within East Dunbartonshire Council which carries out the verification function. Please also refer to our Annual Performance Report which provides additional information about the Building Standards service and communicates our vision and strategy against strategic goals and targets.
Purpose of the Building Standards Customer Charter:
The Building Standards Customer Charter provides information about the standards of service that all verifiers should meet. This gives customers the reassurance that a consistent, high-quality service will be delivered no matter which verifier provides the service.
It is divided into two parts: 1) National Charter; and 2) Local Charter.
Part 1: National Charter
Our aims:
To grant Building Warrants and accept Completion Certificates:
- To secure the health safety, welfare and convenience of persons in an about buildings and others who may be affected by buildings or matters connected with buildings
- Furthering the conservation of fuel and power
- Furthering the achievement of sustainable development.
Our vision/values:
To provide a professional and informative service to all our customers.
Our commitments:
Nationally all verifiers will:
- Seek to minimise the time it takes for customers to obtain a Building Warrant or amendment to a Building Warrant
- Ensure continuous improvement around the robustness of verification assessments to ensure compliance
- Meet and seek to exceed customer expectations
- Carry out local customer satisfaction research, such as surveys, focus groups etc
- Address feedback obtained through local and national customer satisfaction research (including a National Customer Satisfaction Survey) to improve the customer experience
- Provide information on local formal complaints procedures, the LABSS Dispute Resolution Process, and the BSD Customer Performance Reporting Service, and refer customers as
appropriate - Provide accurate financial data that is evidence-based.
- Engage and participate in partnership working at local and national level to identify and embed service improvements
- Adhere to a national annual performance report outlining our objectives, targets and performance
- Fully adhere to the commitments outlined in this Charter (including information on customer dissatisfaction in relation to Building Warrant processing timescales, processes and technical interpretation
- Use a consistent format for continuous improvement plans.
Professional Expertise and Technical Processes
Professional Expertise and Technical Processes
| Key performance indicator | Actions |
|---|---|
|
KP01 |
Minimise time taken to issue a first report or issue a building |
|
KP02 |
Increase quality of compliance assessment during the |
Quality Customer Experience
| Key Performance Indicator | Actions |
|---|---|
|
KP03 |
Commit to the building standards customer charter |
|
KP04 |
Understand and respond to the customer experience |
Understand and respond to the customer experience
| Key performance indicator | Actions |
|---|---|
|
KP05 |
Maintain financial governance |
|
KP06 |
Commit to eBuilding Standards |
|
KP07 |
Commit to objectives outlined in the annual performance report. |
Information: National information on the Verification Performance Framework can be found at the Scottish Government website using the link provided. Our performance against these targets, which came into effect on 1st April 2017, is published within our Annual Performance Report which is available online at the Scottish Government Website
Part 2 – Local Charter
The purpose of the Council’s Building Standards Service is to protect and improve the health, safety and convenience of people when using buildings. The main tasks we undertake to achieve this include:
- Pre-application advice – You can obtain verbal advice on whether or not you would require a Building Warrant by calling our duty officer. This service is available on Monday- Friday between 0930 and 1300 by calling 0141 578 8600.
- Building Warrants – If you do require a Building Warrant the application should be submitted with the relevant fee and appropriate plans and supporting information which details the works proposed. We will assess these and advise the applicant of any areas where their proposal does not meet the building regulations. At this stage it is common for there to be a discussion and submission of revised or additional information. When it has been demonstrated that the proposal complies with the building regulations a warrant will be issued. In rare circumstances where a development cannot be altered to comply we will refuse the application.
- Site inspections - Where a warrant has been obtained we will inspect your development on site at certain key stages to ensure it is acceptable. See Appendix 1 for details of these stages.
- Enforcement - In instances where warrantable work is carried out without permission or conditions on a Building Warrant are not met we can serve enforcement notices.
- Completion Certificates - Issue and accept or reject Completion Certificate submissions
- Dangerous Buildings – Where a building has become a danger to the public through either an incident or natural deterioration we will take action to make it safe.
We are a small but busy Local Authority and deal with approximately 1150 applications per year. We aim to provide a high level of service to all our customers and you can expect the following when you deal
with us:
- Accurate information and helpful advice.
- Advice within three working days if an application is invalid and confirmation of the reasons why.
- Under normal circumstances we would aim to provide an initial response within 20 working days on 80% of valid applications for Building Warrant. This response could consist of either a Building
Warrant or, where there are issues with your proposal, a request for corrected or additional information (known as a First Report). Please note that in some cases it may take several submissions to fully address the issues raised. - An initial response within 10 working days on 80% of applications for Completion Certificates. This may consist of the issuing of the Completion Certificate or where works are not fully complete or not correct it may consist of a request for remedial works.
We will measure our performance against the above criteria and make it available on our website as part of the Building Standards Annual Performance Framework. We are also audited by the Scottish Government through the Building Standards Division.
While we would always aim to give you the best possible service this may vary depending on the current levels of workload and the staff available. The quality of the application that you submit to us is also an important factor and missing or incorrect details can cause a delay in the issuing of your Building Warrant.
To ensure your Warrant/Completion Certificate submission is processed in the fastest time possible please ensure the following is included:
- Sufficient plans and supporting information to fully describe your proposal. When submitting digital plans please ensure they are split into an individual document for each plan.
- An SER certificate where engineering input is necessary (the submission of Structural Calculations will require issue to external consultants which can result in significant delays in the
processing of an application for a Building Warrant) - An electrical certificate from a suitably qualified individual with a current membership of either SELECT or NICEIC where applicable. If the electrician is not SELECT or NICEIC registered,
additional supporting documentation will be required.
You should ensure that all requests for additional information or changes are responded to in a timely fashion.
Scotland’s eBuilding Standards online applications service was launched on 24 August 2016. This enables the electronic submission of applications for Building Warrants and other related forms, such as
Completion Certificates.
Online applications are simple, save applicant’s time and money and will be delivered to us swiftly. This enables us to start processing applications more quickly with no need for the handling and scanning
associated with paper applications and is the most efficient way to submit an application.
The website is free and easy to use and contains a full user guide.
If you wish to make a comment, compliment or complaint about the service, you can contact us on buildingstandards@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or 0141 578 8600.
If you have any concerns regarding our performance, we would encourage you to raise these directly with ourselves in the first instance to give us the opportunity to resolve the issue.
If however you are still not satisfied and want to make a formal complaint you should follow the complaints procedure which you can view on our complaints webpage.
Whilst we would encourage you to raise any issues that you may have directly with the service in the first instance, you can report concerns on our verification performance to the Scottish Government’s Building Standards Division (BSD). Please be aware that the BSD may advise you to raise your concern with us initially to resolve the matter locally.
BSD contact details are provided below:
Post to:
Scottish Government
Building Standards Division
Denholm House
Almondvale Business Park
Almondvale Way
Livingston
EH54 6GA
Telephone: 0300 244 4000
Email: buildingstandards@gov.scot
Our Building Standards Service is a member of Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS), an organisation representing all local authority building standards verifiers in Scotland.
If you disagree with an interpretation of the Building Standards provided by East Dunbartonshire Council in relation to a Building Warrant you may request an interpretation through LABSS.
Please discuss this with the officer assigned to your warrant as the referral to LABSS will come from ourselves.
East Dunbartonshire Council processes personal data according to the General Data Protection Regulations or GDPR and all other relevant national data protection laws.
Any personal data you provide will be held by East Dunbartonshire Council in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and all other relevant data protection laws. The personal
information will be recorded and used to help us to consider, administer and decide (where relevant) the application, enforcement case, enquiry or related submission. Your information may also be shared with other departments within the council and other organisations for the same purposes and also to:
- To fulfil your request for information or services
- Check that the information we have is accurate
- Prevent and/or detect crime
- As input to improving our site
- As part of the process of consultation.