Plympton Pathfields, The Latest News Plympton Pathfields, The Latest News
4. January 2001 - NHBC inspector asked to comment on flooding and foundation works
Building control for this development is not with the local authority, but registered with the National House Building Council (NHBC). This means that all matters related to the construction of the houses in compliance with the Governments statutory Building Regulations is the responsibility of the NHBC. This involves an NHBC inspector checking, independently of the builder or developer, the design and construction of all on-site building work. In particular building control relates to areas which could potentially affect health and safety of the future occupier of the property. In 1985, the NHBC was the first no-local authority body to be appointed by the Government as an Approved Inspector for building control in England and Wales.
For this development, Beazer Homes is on the NHBC
Register (Registration Number 24839) and therefore under the independent inspection of an
NHBC Inspector who has to conduct an average of 11 on-site inspections during
construction. In 1999 a revised inspection regime introduced the NHBC's 'Key Stage
Inspection System'. This new scheme ensures a minimum number of inspections at the
key stages of FOUNDATION, FIRST FIX, SUPERSTRUCTURE, PRE-HANDOVER and INSPECTION OF DRAINS
(where NHBC provides building control), plus the ability to increase the number of site
visits where potential difficulties are identified. Before issuing Final
Certificates, the NHBC inspector must be certain that the appropriate regulations and
inspections have been met and have the authority to insist that defective work is removed
and rebuilt.
The owners of houses built in the late 1990's on Potters Way, 500 metres downstream, were assured that their homes would not flood, only to discover the opposite. The Pathfields Group contacted the NHBC at their office in Clevedon, Somerset to draw their attention to the flooding and foundation concerns on the Pathfields site. We want the NHBC to know how many inspections they have done, and give assurances that the flooding issues have been properly addressed and that the construction of the houses on the flood meadow will not result in later subsidence. To date, the NHBC have not responded to our enquiries and the Pathfields Group will continue to press for these assurances.
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