Conflict of Interest and Independence

Under the current building control regime, including the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022, the Building Regulations, the Registered Building Control Approver (RBCA) regime and the operational standards rules issued by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), BCP is required to maintain strict independence and impartiality in all building control activities.

No Registered Building Inspector (RBI), director, employee, consultant, contractor or other person acting on behalf of BCP may undertake, supervise, influence or be involved in the delivery of building control services where they have, or have previously had, a professional, personal or financial interest in the project or related works.

This includes, but is not limited to, circumstances where the individual or a connected person has:

• undertaken or contributed to the design of the work;
• carried out or supervised construction work on the project;
• acted as architect, engineer, designer, contractor, subcontractor or consultant;
• held a financial interest in the development or contracting entity;
• received or expected any payment, inducement or benefit connected to the project other than proper RBCA fees;
• a family, business or personal relationship capable of compromising professional independence or creating a perceived conflict of interest.

The principle of independence is fundamental to the integrity of the building control profession. Building control professionals must be capable of exercising objective and impartial judgement at all times. Any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest may undermine public confidence, regulatory compliance and the validity of statutory processes.

All relevant BCP personnel are therefore required to declare any potential conflict of interest before involvement in a project and whenever circumstances change during the course of the works. BCP maintains internal procedures and declarations to support transparency, ethical conduct and regulatory compliance.

Any failure to disclose a conflict of interest, or any attempt to improperly influence building control functions, will be treated extremely seriously. Proven breaches may result in:

• removal from the project;
• disciplinary action;
• notification to the Building Safety Regulator;
• withdrawal from the appointment;
• termination of employment or engagement;
• referral to professional or regulatory bodies;
• potential civil or criminal consequences where applicable.

Client, Agent and Contractor Responsibilities

Clients, property owners, agents, contractors and other dutyholders also have responsibilities in maintaining the integrity of the building control process.

You must not:

• seek preferential treatment;

• offer gifts, payments, incentives or inducements intended to influence professional judgement;

• request or encourage any breach of regulatory independence requirements;

• knowingly enter into arrangements which compromise the impartiality of BCP or its personnel.

Any attempt to improperly influence building control decisions may be reported to the appropriate regulatory or enforcement authorities.

Reporting Concerns

BCP encourages the reporting of any suspected conflict of interest, unethical conduct, attempted inducement or other improper activity connected with its building control services.

Any such concerns should be reported to the Managing Director via the contact details provided on this website. All reports will be treated seriously and, where appropriate, in confidence. An acknowledgement will normally be issued within three working days.

Regulatory Background

The historic provisions previously contained within Regulation 9 of the Approved Inspectors Regulations established the long-standing principle that building control bodies and inspectors must remain independent from the works they supervise. Although the regulatory framework has since evolved under the Building Safety Act 2022 and the RBCA/RBI regime, the underlying requirement for professional independence, impartiality and avoidance of conflicts of interest remains fundamental to the operation of the building control system.