Ground-related requirements for new housing: workshops to examine the issues faced by the industry (NF32)
Overview
In November 2010, NHBC Foundation undertook workshops to look at the issues facing the industry in potentially conflicting requirements for ground related works. The work concluded that the scale and complexity of changes to requirements had not been effectively communicated to the industry. The workshops revealed a number of concerns related to the interpretation of the requirements, responsibilities, potential health and safety issues and delays caused by implementation. The evidence collated was submitted to the Gray review (commissioned by DEFRA) to form part of the evidence associated with its work.
Summary of content
The workshops conducted by the NHBC Foundation examined the current levels of awareness of ground-related requirements among housebuilders and their consultants. They explored the following areas:
- Sewers
- SuDS (Sustainable drainage systems) and contaminated land
- Highways
- Water and electricity
Overall there was concern over the complexity of changes proposed and the inadequacy of how these were being communicated to house builders.