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A
cross-party group of AMs will today discuss how tighter building regulations in
Wales could help drive out “cowboys” and even save lives.
Richard Jenkins, Wales Director for the Federation of
Master Builders (FMB Cymru) will present to the group, and call for improved
regulation of the domestic building industry.
Attending the Cross Party Group on
Construction at the National Assembly for Wales today (18th June 2013) Richard
will present arguments for tighter regulation, as Wales and the UK are practically the only westernised
countries that do not exercise a form of licensing control over domestic
builders.
Richard
Jenkins, Director of FMB Cymru said:
“Four years ago, three year old Meg
Burgess was instantly killed when a 23m wall, built and designed by a builder
in Wales, collapsed as she walked with her parents on a public highway.
Tragedies like this could be avoided with improved regulation, as
currently anyone can set themselves up as a ‘builder’ and make structural
change to domestic properties.
“The
commercial construction sector is well served by mainly Health & Safety
guided initiatives that make it very difficult for an inexperienced on
untrained contractor or worker to operate in this sector. FMB Cymru is
in favour of a protocol
being developed that will end the absurd reality that builders working in the
domestic sector are able to freely work with no licensing or assessment framework.
There is also the economic effect that rogue or ‘cowboy’ builders have on the
quality domestic building sector. They undercut and undervalue jobs as a
general rule and often use financial gains to pressuriseclients
to collude with them to avoid VAT.
“It is
clear that research is urgently needed into how this issue can be best resolved
without putting undue regulation on a hard pressed construction sector. FMB
Cymru plan to lead this process, by undertaking a research project that will
inform and guide further discussion at the FMB Cymru conference in October,
with the aim of developing proposals for improved regulation of the industry
which could be introduced by government.”
Brian Berry, FMB Chief Executive confirms the
organisation’s commitment to high standards:
“FMB is committed to being a champion for higher
standards in the building industry, which means pushing out the ‘cowboys’. This
commitment is reflected by the fact that all FMB members by the end of 2016
will need to be inspected and in compliance with TrustMark standards. This
decision has already been welcomed by
TrustMark.”
Joyce Watson AM, Chair of the Cross Party Group on
Construction welcomed FMB’s aims:
“Cowboy
builders undercut reputable tradespeople, undermine consumer confidence, wreck
property and ruin lives. They give a bad name to an industry that is
overwhelmingly full of hard-working, trustworthy professionals. That is why I
am committed to finding any way that makes it harder for rogue traders to
operate here in Wales.”
