The role of the building regulations in achieving housing quality

Abstract

Urban policy in the United Kingdom emphasises the importance of good design as a key component in the revitalisation of towns and cities. In particular, housebuilders are being encouraged to develop sustainable construction practices, and to sensitise the design of dwellings to incorporate local building materials, design styles, and traditions. The government has noted that the building regulations will play a key role in ensuring the development and delivery of design quality. However, there is little or no knowledge of how far, and in what ways, the building regulations will be able to attain the objectives that government has set. The paper evaluates the role and relevance of the building regulations in seeking to deliver design quality in dwellings. It does so with reference to an empirical study of Part M of the building regulations (for England and Wales). This requires builders to provide access to dwellings for disabled people. The research indicates that the use of the building regulations is unlikely to raise, significantly, the quality of design in dwellings.

Re-interpreting Regulations: Architects as Intermediaries for Low-carbon Buildings

“…Nonetheless, in a White Paper in 2000, the government identified housing quality as a policy issue and named the building regulations as a tool for achieving better housing (Imrie, 2004;DETR, 2000). An important part in this strategy was the expansion of Part M-one of 14 parts of the building regulations-in 1999, which regulates access to buildings and particularly addresses the needs of the elderly and disabled in dwellings.…”

Aging and Disability: Implications for the Housing Industry and Housing Policy in the United States

“…Several have focused specifically on the housing needs of disabled residents (Imrie, 2003(Imrie, , 2004Milner & Madigan, 2004). To our knowledge, however, this is the first study to project the number of households with disabled residents and the first to consider the prevalence of disability within housing units rather than within the population.…”

One task, a few approaches, many impacts: Private‐sector involvement in Canadian building code enforcement

“…For private‐sector inspectors, regulatory enforcement is a business and, at a certain point in the enforcement process, a private‐sector inspector has to look at this business from the point of view of profit. Consequently, private‐sector inspectors might be less responsive to deficiencies and might try to save money by restricting the number or the quality of inspections, some interviewees explained (which stresses some of the general findings on privatization of regulatory enforcement discussed earlier, see also Imrie 2004). “When agencies don't get paid they don't do it,” a provincial official made clear.…”