The collapse of Wakefield-based Assent Building Compliance has left thousands of construction projects across the UK without building control oversight. The company, which provided compliance, inspection, and certification services, has ceased trading and is entering insolvency proceedings.
Assent employed more than 200 staff and reported a turnover of £24.3 million in 2023, with a pre-tax loss of £2.2 million. Its subsidiaries, Oculus Building Consultancy and LB Building Control, are registered building control approvers authorised by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). The two entities employed 69 inspectors and were responsible for projects ranging from residential housing to higher-risk buildings.
With operations halted, numerous councils and developers are now seeking replacement inspectors to ensure project continuity. Local authorities have reported large numbers of project cancellations in recent days, and industry sources estimate that Assent and its subsidiaries may have been overseeing up to 20,000 projects nationwide.
LB Building Control also sat on the BSR’s framework for Higher Risk Buildings, meaning the shortage of alternative approvers could slow the progress of major developments. The regulator has confirmed that it is reviewing the situation to assess its impact on ongoing work and future project approvals.
