Industry Profile

INDUSTRY PROFILE: BUILDING CONTROL SURVEYOR

ANGELIQUE MCCONNELL

Angelique McConnell moved to Guernsey 15 years ago, planning to stay for a few months. A decade and a half later, she is a well-respected building control surveyor for the States of Guernsey. She shared with us her career path and her enjoyment of her current role.

Angelique McConnell knew that she wanted to work in the construction industry while she was still at school. At that time, she thought she was interested in a career in building design. But a university degree course later, with an important placement year under her belt, and she was clearer as to exactly what she wanted to do.

“I completed a two year HND BTEC in construction which covered everything from construction management to health and safety and building control. It was a good overview of surveying and the industry in general. That HND led me into doing a degree in Environment and Development, which included a year out in a placement with Derbyshire County Council as a building surveyor.

“This was in 2000 when the government had a real focus on making sure that public buildings were accessible to everyone. My role therefore included a lot of access auditing, including putting costings together, getting contractors on site and ensuring that the construction works still allowed the buildings to function for the public.” That placement not only gave Angelique the inspiration for the direction she’d like to take with her career, but a good grounding in the attributes needed for her current job. Once she’d finished university she was given a place on Dew Construction’s graduate training scheme, rotating through departments and involving such diverse projects as motorways, industrial units and the refurbishment of multi-storey council flats.

It was that job with Dew Construction which led to her move in Guernsey. At the time, the firm

was involved in a number of major projects in the island including the redevelopment of Beau Sejour, the Channel Islands Co-operative Society’s Grand Marché store in St Martin’s and Le Rondin School.

When she arrived in the island in January 2004 as part of Le Rondin’s site management team, she planned to stay until the end of that summer. But like many good plans, hers took a bit of a detour when she met her now-husband in the June of that year.

Angelique decided she wanted to stay on the island and moved to a job with Trant Engineering Ltd. At the time, a major project for them was the main drain connections in the island, and especially around the Route Militaire area. With the States of Guernsey as the client, she was responsible for liaising with everyone from States engineers and surveyors to the contract managers, site supervisors and operatives. That involvement with the States inspired Angelique to return to her initial interest in a surveyor role.

“I knew I had really enjoyed my time at Derbyshire County Council and I decided that type of work was where I wanted my career to go. I was successful in gaining a position as a trainee building control surveyor requiring me to go back to university. It was a three-year distance learning course where I went to the University of Westminster one day a week and then worked in the island for the other four days.

“It was really hard work, but I think that you can always find the time when you are determined to do it. With building regulations there is so much statutory legislation around fire safety and engineering etc, and it definitely gave me a better insight into those areas.”

Now Angelique has moved from being the person being inspected to being the inspector, she appreciates the variety of her job.

“I really enjoy the 50/50 split of my role. I generally spend half of the working day in the office doing administration such as checking that plans comply with regulations and speaking to agents and clients; and the other half out on site, driving around the island to undertake statutory visits at different projects.”

The range of projects Angelique deals with means that she is constantly handling different challenges, and she says that means her job is always interesting.

“Due to the infrastructure of the island, Guernsey is quite a unique place to work as a building control surveyor. Despite its small size, the island has a very diverse range of construction projects. There are not many places where you deal with everything from harbour works, a new airport or a school build to large scale high quality housing or small domestic extensions.

“From receiving the plans at the start of the project, I see it right through to completion. It means clients have continuity and I am involved at all stages of construction. I have to be on site for statutory visits at various points, but I’m also always available to ensure that the job is done safely. I understand that constructions projects can move fast, and I’m happy for builders to contact me to discuss any problems. If there are issues, it’s much better that I get out on site and talk them through it so we can find appropriate solutions.”

That communication is a key part of Angelique’s role and it’s something she clearly enjoys. She acknowledges that building control surveyors need to be as comfortable chatting to tradesmen on a building site as the architects and engineers behind a project.

Alongside those communication skills, she says organisational and time management skills are vital for her role. Managing the workload of a number of different projects at varying stages of completion means that she always needs to be in the right place at the right time.

“I can have anywhere between four and nine site visits a day with driving time in between, and I obviously have to spend a certain amount of time on each site. At the same time, I need to be in the office for a certain amount of the day to check plans and deal with the admin side of the role. Technology FROM RECEIVING THE PLANS AT THE START OF THE PROJECT, I SEE IT RIGHT THROUGH TO COMPLETION. IT MEANS CLIENTS HAVE CONTINUITY AND I AM INVOLVED AT ALL STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION.

Building Control Surveyor

FACTFILE

THE JOB

To ensure that regulations are followed during the planning and construction phases of building projects. Building regulations cover areas such as structural stability, fire safety, public health, energy conservation and accessibility.

THE SKILLS

Good knowledge of construction techniques, problem-solving skills and excellent communication skills to explain technical terms and regulations clearly. Time management skills to handle a number of different projects are also important.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

Most building control surveyors are qualified to a degree level in building surveying, or an equivalent qualification in building studies or a related subject such as surveyor, architect or structural engineer. Some move into the role from another job in building and construction. It is also a requirement for progression to be working towards a full Chartered Status with either RICS or CABE.

has definitely helped manage my workload – I often work remotely, and being able to access plans and information on my laptop or mobile device has made a real difference.”

But despite the challenges, Angelique says she gets a huge amount of job satisfaction from her role.

“Seeing the progress of a build and knowing I played a part in the final product is very rewarding. Whether it is practical buildings that improve Guernsey’s infrastructure or some of the stunning architectural properties that add to the look of the island, I feel lucky that my job helps them take shape.”