Why must you notify the Council ?
All Schools including Academies have an obligation to ensure that any works undertaken on the school estate are undertaken in a way that meets all applicable legislation (i.e. planning, building control and health and safety regulations). Additionally, the
Council has also a duty to maintain accurate records of its building stock and of any alteration works or changes to school buildings for which the Council is the ultimate land lord.
As such there is a need to notify the Council before any building works/building alterations are undertaken on a school campus.
Who Needs To Do What?
School Financial Regulations September 2015 state;
• Governing Bodies must assess in advance, where relevant, the health and safety competence of contractors, taking account of Local Authority’s policies and procedures
• Governing Body should seek the consent of the Local Authority to the proposed
If the land or buildings are owned by the Council or the school has voluntary controlled status, then the Governing Body must seek the consent of the Council for the proposed work.
Academies and Free Schools using land or buildings that are leased from the Council must seek consent from the Council for the proposed work.
Voluntary Aided Schools (including VA Academies) must seek the permission of their relevant Diocese to undertake building work if over £2,000.
Church of England Schools need to apply for DBE and Trustee permission through the Diocesan Board of Education in accordance with the DBE measure. Forms can be downloaded from the Diocesan website.
Catholic Diocese Schools should also seek the consent from the Diocesan Council for Education. When seeking permission schools can access advice on how to safely manage construction projects.
What Do Schools Notify the Council
?
School Building Works Notification Form requires
completion and then returning to
Client.Services@bradford.gov.uk for each school project that is planned within this Financial year. Please
also remember to include all relevant information when returning the form (i.e. electronic copies of drawings & specifications, planning & building regulation approvals and contact details for the Architect/Designer/Project Manager) where these are available.
The intention of this process is not to obstruct schools in carrying out any planned works but to ensure that any schemes carried out comply with all appropriate regulations.
For Further Information and Advice Please Contact:
If you are unsure as to whether the works you are proposing need to be notified or you require any assistance with the enclosed form, then please do not hesitate to contact Client Services at Client.Services@bradford.gov.uk
Please Be Aware !
In April 2015 the Government introduced updated safety legislation to cover all building and construction and maintenance work. These new regulations (the Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations 2015) introduce new obligations that Schools need
to comply with.
Further information can be found on the Bradford Schools Online website: Bradford Schools Online/Site Contents/Buildings/Education Buildings/Construction Design Management or by contacting CDM-EVERYONE@bradford.gov.uk