You have to ask how a £23 million new build student accommodation building can have an enforcement notice issued after only a few months. But then again is it really that surprising. As I have said before it’s not always about the amount of money or about the Building Regulations but a whole range of issues. It’s how the work is carried out, the contractors, the persons responsible for checking the work along the way, Building Control, Fire Safety Inspectors, architects, I could go on and on. The point is that you can have the best Fire Safety regulations in the world, spend all the money in the world but still things that can cost next to nothing can have a bigger impact. Collaborative working, communication, leadership and organisation to name a few. I personally believe we are building buildings cheaper with poorer materials and paying more for them. It’s the tip of the iceberg and once again a fire safety issue related in some sense to building works and construction.
