Assistant Building Surveyor (Building Control)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job purpose

The service is tasked with making the Kirklees economy more resilient and better able to adapt to economic and environmental pressures and challenges. It does this by developing and delivering integrated strategic plans and services to stimulate economic and environmental activity. It also carries regulatory functions and aims to create fair conditions for businesses to operate.

Our mission is to create a district in which people are proud to live and work, where businesses and communities have a sense of ownership and involvement, and where neighbourhoods are welcoming, attractive, and successful, and where people can aspire to have a good quality of life.

To achieve this vision, the service brings together activity in Asset Maintenance, Facilities Management, Building Regulations and Technical Services to make Kirklees a better place to live, work, play, and invest in. Our services touch the lives of everyone who lives, works, visits, or travels through Kirklees.

The service has four key delivery streams, and activity focuses on growing the number of jobs in the district, increasing our business base, and providing an appropriate supply of affordable homes.

You will undertake duties relating to building regulations and other associated legislation within a Building Control Section and to provide support to junior officers.

This role is based within Place.

Key areas of responsibility

The complexity of work allocated to Assistant Building Surveyors will be dependent upon the degree of competency achieved. Building Surveyors will carry out all the following duties:

Assess and determine deposited plans and Building Notices, checking for compliance with Building Regulations or other relevant legislation.

Prepare amendment letters for typing and/or discuss with agent/client personally.

Report any deposited plans which appear to include suspect estimates of relevant costs, when allocated.

Prepare assessments for senior staff on the determination of relaxation applications.

Check structural calculations, within the jobholders competence, referring others to Structural Engineers Section.

Consult with other parties including, Fire Services, Water Authority, Environmental Services & Housing Services.

Supervise Assistant/Technician in assessing and determining plans/notices.

Check and determine notices submitted under the Approved Inspector Regulations.

Responsible for Building Regulation control/enforcement within an area, by visiting sites of works in progress with plans or under Building Notice.

Supervise Assistant/Technician controlling sub-areas; provide training and directions as need arises.

Identify work not conforming to Building Regulations and inform builder, requiring rectification of the work.

Draft legal notices in respect of contravention when informal approaches fail.

Check works in progress for compliance with conditions under the Town and Country Planning Act advising Planning Officer of any deviations.

Prepare reports, take photographs, statements etc. and attend court as an expert.

Assessing Dangerous Building/Structures

Assess the degree of danger of dangerous buildings/structures and decide on the appropriate course of action including draft notices, initiate emergency works instruction.

Monitor the progress of removal of danger or deterioration of building.

Prepare case for court hearing, serve summons, and attend court, if required.

Assist Senior Officers, when undertaking major or more complex jobs/problems.

Ensure that demolition works are carried out without detriment to public safety and in accordance with conditions imposed.

Other Building Surveyor Duties

Inspect premises for structural stability and means of escape; prepare report and recommendations relating to Licenses or Houses in Multiple Occupation.

Attend court as required.

Prepare and co-ordinate report on Houses in Multiple Occupation, after consultation with West Yorkshire Fire Service and advise the private sector Housing Unit of the requirement.

Advise on remedial works and undertake inspection to see that work has been carried out satisfactorily.

Respond to correspondence, telephone queries, counter queries and undertake site meetings with members of the public, professional advisors, contractors, etc. and advise on Building Regulation matters.

Complete questionnaire for land charges, answer questions from solicitors, Local Land Charges etc. regarding searches.

Provide consultation for Planning Department by undertaking surveys of buildings in connection with their structural condition and formulate reports of their feasibility for conversion. Act in consultation for any other purpose as required.

Serve summons on building contractors in connection with contravention of Building Regulations/Building Act or owners of dangerous buildings on behalf of Legal Section.

Maintain records in connection with duties, including diary, inspection records and contravention.

Provide account of work duties to administrative staff to maintain records of sections activities.

Allocate numbers to new buildings and report situations where renumbering of existing buildings or renaming of streets should be considered.

Maintain knowledge of current legislation, changes in legislation and forms of construction and materials.

Provide expertise and guidance to other sections of the Council as required.

Undertake duties with an awareness of the obligations imposed on the Service by registration under ISO9002 and external competition.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• * Knowledge of building regulations.
• * Experience in building control/building regulatory work.
• * Ability to carry out all types of domestic and residential inspections.
• * Ability to determine new dwelling and simple commercial applications.
• * Ability to deal with dangerous structures following assessment by a senior colleague.
• * Familiarity of basic computer software.
• * Understanding of competition in the building control market.
• * Ability to carry out inspections in all weather conditions including working at heights, excavations, in roof spaces, and working in defective and dangerous buildings.
• * Travel is an essential part of this job and therefore it would be extremely difficult for you to do your job effectively if you did not use a car for all or most of the time. It is essential that you hold a full and valid driving licence, and it is expected that you will either use a council vehicle or your own car.
• For appointment at Grade 10 (including the above criteria for Grade 9):
• * Part professional qualification: RICS, ABE or equivalent.
• * Experience of assessing and approving multi-plot sites and more complex applications.
• * Ability to deal with dangerous structures.
• * Experience of undertaking and leading on other building control duties.
• For appointment at Grade 11 (including the above criteria for Grade 9 & 10):
• * Ability to assess and approve plans for multi-plot sites and complex applications.
• * Ability to deal with dangerous structures out of hours and to participate in a contractual standby arrangement.

Qualifications

Essential

• * BTEC Higher National Certificate/Diploma or Degree in building or equivalent.
• * Be licensed with the Building Safety Regulator as a Registered Building Inspector.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Kirklees Council

Address

High Street Buildings

High Street

Huddersfield

West Yorkshire

HD1 2ND

Employer's website

https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/default.aspx (Opens in a new tab)