Secured by Design (SBD) explain how their National Building Approval initiative is making building security compliance simpler, quicker and cheaper for companies and organisations commissioning construction work – and is assisting Local Authorities
Secured by Design’s National Building Approval initiative seeks to encourage building security into new-build developments and major refurbishment schemes across a wide range of sectors, including residential, commercial, retail, mixed-use, transport, health, education, leisure and many others.
One of the scheme’s main benefits is that, after agreement has been reached on the basic level of building security to be provided before any development is planned or built, SBD takes on the administrative task of carrying out due diligence on the member company’s supply chain.
This is to ensure that security standards for products, including doors, windows and roof-lights, are compliant with the Building Regulations in England and Scotland, and/or meet the requirements set by SBD, whichever is applicable.
Many companies and organisations tell us that executing due diligence can be extremely difficult and time consuming and SBD has removed a significant burden from them.
Once an agreement is in place, members simply register their future building developments or refurbishment schemes using a one-page form. Once received, SBD issues a Silver Certificate for the site they have registered in advance of any building work to recognise the steps taken to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.
The Certificate is valid for a development anywhere in the UK and does not require a separate local agreement to be reached with that area’s Police Force. New building designs or types can be added or removed at any time, as can any new door, window or roof-light supplier.
Going from strength to strength
A total of 6,698 buildings on 70 building sites have been registered – an increase of 3,000 buildings over the last six months. These sites are located in 17 different Police Force areas around the UK.
Of the 23 SBD NBA member companies and organisations, most are in the new-build residential marketplace. They include Barratt Homes (Eastern Division), Berkeley Homes (East Thames), Bovis Homes, Crest Nicholson, David Wilson Homes, Forman Homes Ltd, Gleeson Homes, Redrow and Taylor Wimpey. Springfield Properties has become the first developer in Scotland to join NBA.
Among the member organisations commissioning building work, such as social landlords and housing associations, is London and Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q), also known as Quadrant Construction, the largest landlord in Greater London.
In addition, SBD is poised to engage with local authorities about NBA and gain their membership too.
Helping Local Authorities
Our work with the Department for Communities and Local Government, National House Building Council, Local Authority Building Control and the Building Control Alliance, means that the SBD Silver Certificate can be used by members as evidence to discharge their third-party obligations under Part Q of Schedule 1 (Security) to the Building Regulations 2010 in England and the Scottish Building Standard 4.13 – Security.
It also discharges any other obligation placed upon the build by third-parties to gain Section 2 (Physical Security) approval from the range of SBD published Building Guides, including SBD Homes, SBD Commercial and SBD Schools.
In addition to the English and Scottish Building regulations, the publication of the new Welsh Building Regulation for the security of new homes is imminent. SBD has been involved in assisting in the creation of the new Welsh Approved Document; it is understood that SBD NBA will meet or exceed all of the requirements within the new Regulation.
Comment from our SBD NBA Lead
Michael Brooke, who has championed the scheme, said NBA is a straightforward route to achieving Building Regulation compliance. “Members are saying that they are valuing the time and money savings they are making because of our faster and simplified process, which takes much of the administrative burden off them. They receive their award quickly and don’t have to wait until the end of the build or worry that an award may not be made.”
Comment from Gleeson Homes
Dan Ramsden, Technical Manager, Gleeson Homes, said: “Over the past four years the scheme has proved extremely popular both within the company and with customers alike as it allows us to offer superior levels of security at no additional cost to the buyer and meets our objective to create safer, more secure communities.”
Secured by Design
Tel: 0203 8623 999
Email: enquiries@police-cpi.co.uk
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