Mind the gap: the building control recruitment crisis facing UK local authorities

Local authority building control teams are under unprecedented strain. Just as demand for their services rises – driven by housing targets and a tougher regulatory regime – councils across the UK are struggling to recruit and retain the professionals needed to deliver them.

The result is a widening gap between capacity and demand, one that industry leaders warn could take years to close.

The roots of the current crisis lie in the sweeping reforms introduced in England and Wales by the Building Safety Act. Building control professionals must now register as competent practitioners, with defined levels of responsibility and a requirement to revalidate every four years.

The changes have been widely welcomed as a necessary step to improve standards and rebuild trust. But they have also exposed – and intensified – long-standing weaknesses in the workforce pipeline.

As Lorna Stimpson, chief executive of Local Authority Building Control (LABC), has consistently highlighted, the sector entered this period of reform with too few people and too little investment in training.

For many in the sector, today’s shortages are the result of decisions made decades ago.

“There was a long period where there wasn’t really a formal pathway into the profession,” says Emily Bowman MCIOB, registered building inspector and building control team leader at East Suffolk Council. “People either fell into it or came through more general surveying routes.”

That gap in structured training created a “lost generation” of professionals – and a workforce now heavily weighted towards those nearing retirement.

LABC has spent the past decade trying to rebuild that pipeline. In 2017, it partnered with the University of Wolverhampton to develop a dedicated building control degree. A year later, it launched Level 4 and Level 5 diplomas, secured approval as a CIOB training provider, and introduced a building control apprenticeship.

By 2019, the degree apprenticeship welcomed more than 100 students in its first intake – a significant step in restoring a clear entry route into the profession.

“Building control used to have its own degree, then it got subsumed into building surveying,” Stimpson told Construction Management. “Now that degree qualification is back – it gives more self-respect for the profession.”

Despite these efforts, the introduction of mandatory registration has accelerated workforce losses.

“Once the competency framework came in, a lot of experienced people decided they weren’t going to go through that process,” says Chris Allen MCIOB, registered building inspector at Solihull Council. “Some were probably reluctant to change, but there was also fear – people hadn’t sat exams for years.”

The result has been a loss of highly experienced professionals at the very moment they are most needed.

Allen recalls colleagues leaving the sector entirely. “One of my colleagues left and set up on his own. That’s happening across the board.”

Bowman has seen similar patterns. “The average age was around 50 to 55. A lot of people chose early retirement rather than go through validation.”

Industry estimates suggest that while between 5,000 and 6,000 registered building inspectors are needed, current numbers are closer to 2,500.

For local authorities, the challenge is not simply competition – it is a lack of available people. “We can advertise multiple times a year,” says Bowman. “But we never get applications from fully qualified inspectors. Only trainees.”

Geography can make the problem even more acute. Rural and coastal councils are often recruiting from a limited pool, with little success regardless of salary levels. “You can say ‘pay more’, but if the people don’t exist, it doesn’t solve the problem,” she adds.

Even in more urban authorities, demand far outstrips supply. “I’m getting messages daily from recruiters,” says Allen. “The demand is huge.”

That demand is fuelling intense competition across the sector. Private firms and consultancies are offering significantly higher salaries – in some cases exceeding £100,000 for higher competency roles – alongside incentives such as signing bonuses and flexible working.

“It’s hard not to look at those figures,” Allen admits. “But there’s usually a trade-off.”

New roles are also emerging outside statutory building control. Building regulations consultants, for example, advise design teams without needing to register with the regulator. “That’s become attractive,” Allen says. “You’re using your knowledge without the same level of responsibility.”

For local authorities, the result is a constant struggle to retain staff. “You’ve got a bucket with a hole in it,” Bowman says. “You’re training people, but they’re leaving just as quickly.”

At the same time, the pathway to becoming fully operational has become more demanding. Trainees must now register from day one, complete structured learning, build a portfolio of evidence and pass a competency assessment before working independently – a process that can take several years.

“You can’t just bring someone in and let them learn on the job anymore,” Bowman says.

The introduction of tiered competency levels has also reshaped workloads, with fewer inspectors qualified to work on complex projects.

The reforms are also reshaping relationships across the construction process. “We can’t tell people what to do anymore,” Allen explains. “The responsibility now sits with the designer and contractor.”

While this aligns with the intent of the new regime, it is taking time to embed – particularly among smaller firms. “There’s a culture change needed,” he says. “Some understand it, others are still adjusting.”

North of the border, the regulatory framework differs, but workforce pressures remain. Under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003, the system is based on “building standards” rather than building control, with greater emphasis on guidance and flexibility.

“It’s a different approach,” says Alasdair Murray, building standards manager at Highland Council. “If you follow the guidance, you’re deemed to comply – but you can take alternative routes.”

Scotland has so far avoided the same level of regulatory burden, although competency assessment schemes are being introduced. However, the underlying issue is the same: decades of underinvestment. “In the late 90s, we stopped recruiting trainees,” Murray says. “Since then, the pool of qualified surveyors has been getting smaller.” 

However, signs of progress can be seen across the UK. In 2023, LABC secured more than £20m in government funding to recruit 110 trainee surveyors, attracting over 1,000 applications. These recruits – along with others entering the profession – will have their competence validated through LABC’s Building Safety Competence Foundation.

“We’re seeing different people come into the role,” LABC CEO Stimpson explains. “Of the 110 trainees, 29% were female and 66% were embarking on second careers.”

That shift could prove significant in broadening the profession’s appeal and resilience. Local authorities are also increasingly focused on “growing their own” talent through apprenticeships and graduate schemes.

“We knew we couldn’t recruit experienced people, so we had to invest in trainees,” Murray says. Since 2018 Highland Council has taken on 14 graduate apprentices. Although 10 replaced existing staff and needed further mentoring, the council is now seeing the fruits of that investment.

The building control recruitment crisis is complex, structural and long in the making. There are encouraging signs: clearer training routes, increased funding, and a more diverse intake of new entrants. But the gap between supply and demand remains significant.

For local authorities, the path forward is clear but challenging: sustained investment in people, a focus on retention and a long-term commitment to rebuilding the profession.

“There is a massive skills gap and no easy overnight solution,” says Bowman. “But it is a fantastic career and all we can do is keep training people and making it a a really good career prospect.”

Murray agrees. “There is a recruitment issue because of the lack of qualified surveyors, but if we all put in the effort and resources, invest in young people, in training, make use of these fantastic programmes that universities are providing and that government supports, then in five or 10 years we’ll be in a much better position.”