The Department of Infrastructure is seeking the public’s views on proposals to increase the fees charged for Building Regulations.
The proposals follow a comprehensive review of fees paid in the Island, and those in other parts of the British Isles, which found that Isle of Man fees were generally much lower.
A consultation launched by the Department this week is calling on stakeholders and other interested parties to make submissions regarding the proposed fees by August 6th.
In analysing the costs of providing the current Building Control services, it was found that an increase in fees was required in order to maintain the quality of service provided to customers across the Island.
However, the Department does not intend to simply apply the level of fees charged elsewhere.
Howard Quayle MHK, Political Member with responsibility for Planning and Building Control, explained: ‘We’re mindful of the current economic climate, and we do not propose following carte blanche the fees that apply in other jurisdictions. Instead, we want to take a considered and measured approach in determining a level of fees that is both appropriate and reasonable, but bearing in mind the need to recoup a greater proportion of the costs that we incur in delivering the service.’
There are two fees applicable to Building Regulations – one for assessing submitted plans, the other for on-site inspection.
For example, at present the erection of a detached garage or carport up to 50 square metres on a residential property carries a ?24 ‘plan fee’ and ?72 ‘inspection fee. Under the proposals, these fees would increase to ?29 and ?86 respectively. As a comparison, a similar project in England & Wales would attract a fee of ?303.00 for a detached or attached garage between 40 square metres and 60 square metres in size.
On a larger scale, a development with an estimated cost of ?500,000 has a plan fee of ?1,392 and inspection fee of ?4,172 – these would increase to ?1,670 and ?5,007 respectively.
Minister for Infrastructure David Cretney MHK said: ‘These regulations are just one of a number of proposed changes to the Building Regulations and associated legislation. The overall aim of these changes it to improve efficiency and deliver a value-for-money Building Control service to the Island and our customers.’
The consultation will close at 9.00am on Monday, August 6th, and an electronic version of the consultation, including a full breakdown of the new fee levels can be found at http://www.gov.im/Consultations.gov.
Submissions, clearly marked ‘Draft Building (Fees) Regulations Consultation’ should be sent to the Department of Infrastructure, Building Control Manager, Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas, IM1 2SF or via email to Siamack.Rowaichi@gov.im.
