Building Standards Annual Performance Report and Customer Charter

Introduction

The verification performance report is a strategic planning and management tool that provides information about the local authority Building Standards service, communicates the vision and strategy, and sets out performance against strategic goals and targets. Building Standards verifiers in Scotland are required to utilise the performance report to manage, monitor, review, and develop strategies for their business, and should focus on the performance framework's core perspectives and cross-cutting themes.

North Ayrshire is a medium sized local authority located approximately 25 miles southwest of Glasgow. It covers an area of around 340 square miles, almost equally divided between the mainland and the islands of Arran and Cumbrae, with a total coastline of approximately 140 miles.

Over three quarters of North Ayrshire's population live in urban areas, including the main settlements of Irvine and Kilwinning, as well as several smaller towns. The remaining population lives in rural areas, with approximately 4.8% residing in remote or very remote rural locations.

The total resident population of North Ayrshire was estimated at 134,010 in mid-2024. The social and economic context of the area is mixed, with the islands of Arran and Cumbrae and parts of the northern coastal area more generally affluent, in contrast to other parts of the mainland authority area.

North Ayrshire has a higher dependence on traditional manufacturing industries compared to Scotland as a whole. Major employers within the area include North Ayrshire Council, Ardagh Glass, Sigma-Aldrich, GlaxoSmithKline, Caledonian Paper PLC, DSM Nutritional Products, EDF Energy, Magnox, Chivas Brothers Ltd, Taste of Arran, UPM Caledonian, and British Polythene Industries.

The Building Standards service forms part of the council's Protective Services section within the Housing and Public Protection directorate, Place. The Senior Manager (Protective Services) reports to the Head of Service for Housing and Public Protection. The Building Standards services operates from a single office within the council headquarters at Cunninghame House, Irvine, KA12 8EE.

North Ayrshire Council’s Building Standards team comprises of two teams of four surveyors and one apprentice, each with a responsibility for a geographical area. Each team is a self-contained multifunctional unit having all the necessary professional skills, competence and experience to deliver the full range of verification services offered by the section.

The teams are also responsible for non-verification work including enforcement in respect of dangerous and defective structures, property complaints, unauthorised works, consultations, licensing inspections and liaison with North Ayrshire Access Panel.

The purpose of the Building Standards system is to protect the public interest. The system sets out the essential standards that are required to be met when building work, or conversion of a building, takes place to meet building regulations.

The Building Standards system checks that proposed building work or conversion of a building meets standards; inspections are limited to a minimal necessary to ensure that legislation is not avoided. The control of work on site is not down to the system but is a matter for contracts and arrangements in place between a builder and client.

Verifiers, appointed by Scottish Ministers, are responsible for the independent checking of applications for building warrants to construct or demolish buildings, to provide services, fittings or equipment in buildings, or for conversions.

Staffing position on 1 April 2026

Posts are full time equivalents.

Verification service

The Head of

Building Standards is at tier 4.

There is currently:

• 1 Managers post and no vacant posts
• 8 Main Grade Posts (Surveyors) and no vacant posts
• 1 System Administrator post and no vacant posts
• 3 Office support/Administrator posts and no vacant posts (access to centralised support staff from Business Support)
• 1 Modern Apprentice posts and no vacant posts

Office support/clerical is a shared resource, as such age profile not included below.

Strategic objectives

The statutory public interest objectives of the Building Standards System are firmly embedded in the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) between North Ayrshire Council, North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership and the Scottish Government which outlines how we will achieve our shared Vision of ‘North Ayrshire - A Better Life’.

The Agreement updates and replaces the former Community Plan, and Council Plan.

Regional Economic Vision for Ayrshire

Our vision is for Ayrshire to be a vibrant, outward looking, confident region, attractive to investors and visitors, making a major contribution to Scotland’s growth and local well-being, and leading the implementation of digital technologies and the next generation of manufacturing.

The Ayrshire Growth Deal

The  Ayrshire Growth Deal will contribute to this regional vision, creating a growing, innovative, smart, more productive and inclusive economy, by developing Ayrshire’s core strengths and ensuring our communities benefit from economic growth.

The Building Standards service has specific links to at least 5 of the 16 key national outcomes of the Scottish Government, namely 9, 10, 12, 14 and 16 as noted below:

• we live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger
• we live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need
• we value and enjoy our built and natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations
• we reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production
• our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's needs

Current departmental issues

The departmental issues to be addressed 2026 to 2027 are as follows:

• budget pressures with emphasis on fee income monitoring
• staff support through training, ensuring staff are kept up to date with industry changes, recruitment, and retention of suitably qualified/experienced staff members
• implement lessons learned from national and local customer satisfaction survey results and customer comments
• develop Enterprise software system and fully integrated with Idox software packages to enhance the ebuilding standards process

Key strategic objectives

North Ayrshire Council’s Building Standards key strategic objectives for the coming year are to:

• continue to improve our eBuilding Standards service (electronic on-site inspection)
• delivery of our performance framework plan
• continue to be an active member of, and fully commit to, the South West Scotland Consortium Group
• fully engage with and promote membership in LABSS. Engage in partnership working with all stakeholders including BSD and Scottish Building Standards Hub
• ensure the continued health, safety and welfare of persons in or about buildings of North Ayrshire. To continue to be among the top performing Building Standards Authorities in Scotland.

Key performance outcomes and targets

The national verification performance framework is based on three core perspectives:

• professional expertise and technical processes
• quality customer experience
• operational and financial efficiency

There are also three cross-cutting themes, comprising:

• public interest
• continuous improvement
• partnership working

Summary of Key Performance Outcomes (KPOs)

Professional Expertise and Technical Processes

• KPO1 - minimise time taken to issue a first report, or issue as building warrant or amendment
• KPO2 - increase quality of compliance assessment during the construction processes

KPO1 targets

1.1 95% of first reports (for building warrants and amendments) issued within 20 days - all first reports (including building warrants and amendments issued without a first report).

1.2. 90% of building warrants and amendments issued within 10 days from receipt of all satisfactory information – all building warrants and amendments (not including BWs and amendments issued without a first report).

KPO2 targets

2.1. Targets to be developed as part of future review of KPO2.

Quality Customer Experience

• KPO3 - commit to the building standards customer charter
• KPO4 - understand and respond to the customer experience

KPO3 targets

3.1. National customer charter is published prominently on the website and incorporates version control detailing reviews (reviewed at least quarterly).

3.2. 95% of BSD requests for information on a BSD ‘Verifier Performance Reporting Service for Customers’ case responded to by verifier within 5 days.

KPO4 targets

4.1. Minimum overall average satisfaction rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Operational and Financial Efficiency

• KPO5 - maintain financial governance
• KPO6 - commit to eBuilding Standards
• KPO7 - commit to objectives outlined in the annual performance report

KPO5 targets

5.1. Building standards verification fee income to cover indicative verification service costs (staff costs plus 30%).

KPO6 targets

6.1. Details of eBuilding Standards to be published prominently on the verifier’s website.

6.2. 75% of each key building warrant related process being done electronically:

• plan checking
• building warrant or amendments (and plans) being issued
• verification during construction
• completion certificates being accepted

KPO7 targets

7.1. Annual performance report published prominently on website with version control (reviewed at least quarterly).

7.2. Annual performance report to include performance data in line with KPOs and associated targets (annually covering previous year, for example April 2026 to March 2027).

Performance data

Professional Expertise and Technical Processes

The aim of this perspective is to show that we possess the necessary professional expertise to efficiently and effectively undertake all technical aspects of Building Standards verification. This is achieved by ongoing training and development and providing a commitment to delivering streamlined and transparent technical processes that meet our customer needs and that ae compliant at all times with relevant legislation.

Risk Management Protocols are in place for the allocation and processing of applications, dealing with structural design, site inspections, and the acceptance or rejection of completion certificates. We will continue to develop and implement the reporting systems relative to the procedures and guidelines of the performance framework for 2026 to 2027 and the new Operating and Performance Frameworks. In conjunction with East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway Councils, North Ayrshire Council forms part of the Southwest Scotland Consortium Group (SWSCG).

The group meets on a regular basis to share best practice, technical guidance, benchmarking data, and to facilitate training. North Ayrshire Council and the SWSCG continue to be actively involved with national policy and working groups via Scottish Building Standards Hub (SBSH) and Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS).

Quality Customer Experience

The aim of this perspective is to ensure that we provide high quality standards and services to customers, underpinned by clear and transparent communications with an accurate understanding of different customer and stakeholder needs. The insights and actions taken in response to this intend to bring out continuous improvement of the customer experience, which will be regularly measured and assessed.

All relevant information to North Ayrshire Council Building Standards is available on our website including our customer charter. We are currently implementing agile working across the service; without detriment to the current service we provide. At present our correspondence is normally via telephone, emails, and letters. Face to face appointments at Cunninghame House are on appointment only basis.

Operational and Financial Efficiency

The aim of this perspective is to ensure that we are managing the Building Standards verification operations and finances in the most efficient and effective way possible; this is achieved by efficient use of funds and resources, ensuring high levels of productivity and having a fit-for-purpose infrastructure such as IT systems.

Our service has been well structured and developed over the years to provide a robust service delivery to our customers. Management systems are in place to monitor verification and non-verification budgets.

Building Standards operate an application processing system ‘Uniform’ provided by IDOX. The system stores all our application information, it provides performance reporting facilities and letters relating to Building Warrant applications. Uniform is supported by the council’s ICT service and a dedicated System Administrator. We ensured that the appropriate procedures and systems were in place ready for the launch of eBuilding Standards. This proved to be a great a success with nearly all applications and approvals now being dealt with electronically as an end-to-end process.

Section 5: Performance data (KPO7.2)

Our Building Standards KPO performance data documentis available for you to view.

Verification Activity and Performance

During the 2025 to 2026 financial year, 559 Building Warrant Applications and Late Completion Applications were received by North Ayrshire Council. The performance measures in relation to the verification activity as stipulated previously are shown below along with the previous two years for comparison.

The profile of the 559 building warrant applications received, based on the value of the works, is noted below along with the previous two years for comparison.

In 2025 to 2026, 13 applications were greater than £1,000,000.

In 2024 to 2025, 9 applications were greater than £1,000,000.

In 2023 to 2024, 14 applications were greater than £1,000,000.

Service improvements and partnership working

In the previous 12 months (2025 to 2026) we:

• utilise the existing risk management protocol and implement a system for recording the implementation on Uniform. This is complete.
• Record compliance during construction in accordance with LABSS guidance. This is ongoing.

Monitoring and reporting on the:

• time taken to grant a building warrant including providing verifier/applicant splits.
• times taken to issue determined domestic and non-domestic building warrants.
• weekly performance targets for each surveyor and their workloads.
• quarterly fee income and budgetary controls. This is ongoing.
• re-appointment as sole Building Standards verifier for North Ayrshire Council for the maximum six-year term. This is complete.
• analysed results from National and Local Customer Surveys and used results to identify areas where improvements and changes to established practices could be made. This is ongoing.
• preparation for the implementation of eBuilding Standards including participation in carrying out testing of software and hardware. Ensuring all staff were adequately trained in the processes. This is complete.
• amalgamation of paper and electronic building warrants through scanning of completed applications and installing on back office systems. This is ongoing.

In the next 12 months (2026 to 2027) we will:

• Procure suitable hardware equipment to assist Surveyors in carrying out onsite checking of ebuilding and scanned building warrants. (three to six months)
• Support staff through PPD process to achieve suitable CPD and encourage and assist unqualified staff to obtain professional membership of RICS, ABE, CIOB and so on (12 months)
• Maintain our current levels of performance and continue to strive to identify areas of improvement and ensure these are implemented. (12 months)
• Ensure that any critical comments from the customer satisfaction surveys are identified and acted upon timeously. (12 months)
• Continue to participate in and further develop the South West Scotland Building Standards Consortium (SWSBSC) for peer reviews, technical dispute resolution, benchmarking and training. (12 months)

In the previous 12 months (2025 to 2026) we worked with:

• East Ayrshire Council, South Ayrshire Council and Dumfries & Galloway Council via South West Scotland Building Standards Consortium (SWSBSC)
• Scottish Fire and Rescue.
• North Ayrshire Access Panel (NAAP) (Disability Issues) External Structural Engineers
• Idox
• Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS)
• Building Standards Division of the Scottish Government (BSD)

Customer charter

The main job of the Building Standards team is to apply the law to buildings to ensure they are:

• safe and fit for purpose
• energy efficient

The level of service you can expect when dealing with our Building Standards team are:

Customer care

We will:

• be polite, respectful and helpful
• assist in a fair and equal manner
• provide an efficient and effective service from the first point of contact, through to conclusion
• observe privacy and confidentiality in all matters
• monitor and evaluate our performance
• wear name badges so you can recognise us

Telephone calls

We will:

• answer calls promptly and give you our name
• only transfer your call if it is necessary
• transfer calls quickly and correctly. We'll tell you and the other person who they are speaking to and why. We'll return any out of hours messages within two working days

Contact by letter or email

We will acknowledge written correspondence within five calendar days of receipt, providing a full written response within 28 calendar days. In cases where there is going to be a delay, we will send you an interim reply explaining the position

Personal callers

We will:

• meet with you and provide general information or advice, or you may make an appointment with a specific member of staff
• try to arrange meetings for your convenience where possible
• provide facilities for meetings if necessary and ensure that our accommodation is clean and safe

Performance standards

Building standards will try to provide the following standards of performance at all times. Please note that large or complex projects may take longer. An estimate of the expected response times can be discussed at the time of enquiry or submission.

We will:

• respond to applications for building warrants within 15 working days (where possible)
• issue building warrants within three working days of receiving all of the information we have asked for
• respond to the request for a completion certificate within 10 working days
• issue completion certificates within three working days of being satisfied that the work complies with the warrant and building regulations

Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our service, please discuss the matter as soon as possible with the member of staff you have been dealing with or the Senior Manager of Protective Services.

To make a written complaint, please write to the Senior Manager of Protective Services or fill in a listening and learning form (available at reception). You may also complain online.

We will:

• let you know we have received your complaint by writing to you within five calendar days
• reply to your complaint in writing within 28 calendar days
• apologise to you, if appropriate, and take action to solve the problem
• consider your complaint when we review our service and our staff

Help us to help you

Building standards aims to provide a helpful, professional and informative service to help our customers to comply with the law. This means it is important that we get your views on the service we provide.

To do this we will:

• carry out customer satisfaction surveys
• listen and learn from any suggestions, comments and complaints made
• ask you to help us by using a reference number in all contact with you
• ask you to make an appointment if you wish to meet with a member of our staff
• eBuilding standards
• Building warrants may be submitted and processed electronically by eDevelopment.