It’s now even easier to notify Part P work, thanks to a major project to simplify the whole job notification system for electrical contractors. The work has been undertaken by the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS) management committee on behalf of local authority building control (LABC), and has drawn upon the experience of all Part P scheme operators.
For anyone notifying their electrical work online, there are now just 12 descriptors to choose from. These descriptors have been rewritten so they can be more easily understood by the consumer when they receive their building compliance certificate. Steve Mitchell, Managing and Operations Director for ELECSA, was the chair for the working group driving the project and said “we want to make notification as easy as possible for contractors to help them to comply with their legal requirements under Part P as well as assist householders in understanding the importance of the building compliance certificate.”
Since Part P was introduced in 2005, it’s been a legal requirement for contractors to inform the relevant local authority of notifiable work. It also provides the householder with evidence that the work complies with building regulations, which is essential for house sales and conveyancing. Plus it means the contractor can show a professional image to the customer by showing they comply with legal requirements.
All the major Part P scheme operators offer their registrants a quick and easy way to do this online. The alternative is to notify work covered by Part P to their local building control department. LABC has recently been given the power to charge for this service, so it can be an expensive option. Plus there is the hassle of organising a site visit from the LABC inspector.
A simple LABC guidance leaflet on job notification is available from all Part P scheme operators.