In line with the governments’ roadmap out of lockdown, national restrictions will be eased further from 17 May. This means that the restrictions on some of the inspections that have been in place up to now can also be eased.

So, from 17 May 2021 ALL inspections can now take place on both occupied and unoccupied properties regardless of whether the work is inside or outside.

However, for Completion Inspections in occupied properties only, we will still require an access declaration form to be completed and returned. Once this is done the Completion inspection request will be added to a list and you will be contacted by an office to arrange a suitable day from Monday to Wednesday. This requirement will be reviewed as government advice is updated.

Also, until such time as government guidance changes, the requirement to observe social distancing will remain.

To recap, when you require a Building Control Inspection of your construction project, we are looking for your co-operation to do the following:

• Notify your inspection request in the normal manner (please email bldg.con@arun.gov.uk or call 01903 737756) by 5pm the day before the inspection is due (4.45pm on Fridays) but preferably at least 24 hours before you need a response from Building Control. It will be necessary for you to provide your telephone number so we can call you back if needed.
• It is also now possible to book an inspection by using the LABC Inspection app.
• If the inspection is for a Completion you will be asked to complete and return an Access Declaration, and we will then contact you to arrange a convenient day. You will not be able to book a completion inspection until this is done.
• Do not take photos instead of booking an inspection or speaking to a member of Building Control. 
• Finally, please ensure you avoid trying to contact individual officers directly - even if they have dealt with you on a previous occasion. Officers may become ill in the future or be unavailable and your request may not be dealt with in time.

These continue to be unusual times and whilst we always welcome having the opportunity to provide advice on site, you can still continue to contact Building Control for guidance, information or assistance by phone or email (see above contact details).

As an aside to how we intend to conduct inspections for the duration, these latest arrangements will not affect how we administer new Building Regulation applications. As normal, new applications should be submitted online.

Any impact on this policy following updated government advice as we move into June will be published on this page.

Finally, if you require any further information or assurance regarding your Building Control project, please call our Contact Centre on 01903 737756 or email at bldg.con@arun.gov.uk