Civic campaigners worried as key council post unfilled

CAMPAIGNERS have criticised the largest local authority in Wales after it emerged that it has operated without a head of building control for at least six months.

Cardiff Civic Society said it was worrying that organisational charts released to it by Cardiff Council following an information request showed that such a post had been vacant at the authority between September 2020 and February 2021.

Nerys Lloyd Pierce, who chairs the civic society, said: “This is very worrying.

“According to the Local Authority Building Control Association, building control is important for a number of reasons.

“It helps check that buildings are built to building regulations standards.

“It protects people from cowboy builders and unsafe practices.

“It educates and informs building professionals, contractors and trades people.

“It imposes penalties when a building or structure isn’t approved by building control.

“Approval from building control is important when selling or re-mortgaging a home.

“It promotes energy-efficient and sustainable buildings.

“It ensures buildings are accessible. “It checks that sports grounds, stadiums and public venues are safe for crowds

“It protects the public from dangerous structures, and it helps keep building quality high.”

“In answer to the freedom of information requests that we submitted, Cardiff Council published its organisational charts for September 2020 and February 2021.

“Both charts show the post of operational manager for building control as ‘vacant.’”

Ms Lloyd Pierce pointed out that a report last month from the pro-regulation group Unchecked exposed a huge “enforcement gap” in Wales, with many regulators struggling to fulfil their statutory duties.

The report called on Wales’ political parties to commit to maintaining and strengthening public standards and protections ahead of the Senedd election in May.

Another set of campaigners who are embroiled in an ongoing battle for compensation following the discovery of serious defects in their high rise homes have also expressed concern.

Tests carried out at the Celestia complex in Cardiff Bay found faults including “very poor or non-existent” fire barriers between flats – design features meant to stop fire spreading internally; “missing or defective” external fire cavity barriers; and some use of timber cladding and insulation that does not meet the required standards

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service ordered repairs to be carried out at the 450-flat development, designed by Redrow, which is made up of seven high-rise blocks built between 2005 and 2007.

Tweeting about the vacant post of head of building control, the group Ripped Off By Redrow stated: “Not a good look given the enormous amount of development taking place across Cardiff and @plasdwr.”

Plasdwr is a planned new suburb of around 7,000 homes in the north west of Cardiff. Construction by the lead developer Redrow Homes started in 2017.

As well as the 7,000 homes, the development will include five schools, as well as offices, shops and leisure facilities.

Planning approval was granted for the first 630 homes in 2016 after Cardiff Council had approved the city’s Local Development Plan which envisaged 40,000 new homes being built across Cardiff by 2026.

Planning permission was granted for the remainder of the Plasdwr scheme in March 2017. It is the largest planning application ever considered by Cardiff Council.

A spokesman for Cardiff Council did not dispute that there was a vacancy for a head of building control, but said the building control department was overseen by James Clemence, the head of planning.

The spokesman added: “He has a building control manager working directly under him, and they line manage the council’s building control surveyors.”

He described the building control service as “a very well-covered service.”