Harwood Building Control Limited

13/10/2026

We’re pleased to welcome Tim Larkin to the Harwood team as Site Inspector.

Tim brings extensive experience across construction, highways, civil engineering and building control. After beginning his career in construction, he spent 10 years working within a local authority as a Highway Engineer before returning to the construction industry.

For the past decade, Tim has worked as a Building Control Surveyor, continuing his professional development and achieving RBI 2E Site Inspector status.

With a broad understanding of construction and the built environment, Tim is looking forward to expanding his knowledge further as part of the Harwood team.

Welcome to Harwood, Tim.

12/10/2026

From injury setbacks to representing Great Britain on home soil, 2026 has been a breakthrough year for athlete Louise Evans.

Since Harwood began sponsoring Louise in April, she has completed a five-week training camp in Florida, represented England at the Loughborough International, competed across Europe and achieved a personal best at the British Championships.

The season culminated in a late call-up to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she stepped into the 4x100m relay and helped the team qualify for the final.

“Having my first major championships at home was so special. The energy in the stadium was insane, and having my parents there made it even more special.”

In our latest article, Louise talks openly about overcoming years of injury setbacks, the season that followed, Harwood’s support and her ambitions for 2027 and beyond – including her ultimate goal of securing a place on the Olympic team in 2028.

Read Louise’s story here: https://harwood.uk.com/louise-evans-from-injury-setbacks-to-the-commonwealth-games/

Follow Harwood-sponsored athlete Louise Evans’ journey from injury setbacks to the Commonwealth Games, as she sets her sights on the 2028 Olympics.

08/10/2026

The Building Safety Levy came into force on 1 October 2026, introducing a new charge on certain residential developments in England.

The levy applies to qualifying building control applications made on or after this date and will be collected through the building control process to help fund building safety remediation works.

For developers with residential schemes in the pipeline, it is important to understand whether the levy applies and how it may affect upcoming projects.

A summary of the levy can be found on Harwood's website: https://www.harwood.uk.com/building-safety-levy-draft-regulations-published-what-this-means-for-your-project/

As Registered Building Control Approvers, Harwood is committed to supporting our clients through this complex regulatory landscape. Our team will ensure all required levy details are accurately submitted with Initial Notices to avoid delays or rejection by local authorities.

Building Safety Levy draft regs published: key changes, exemptions & costs developers must prepare for ahead of Oct 2026 implementation.

07/10/2026

We’re pleased to welcome Richard Preston to Harwood as our new Operations Director.

Richard brings more than two decades of experience across building control and the wider built environment, with a strong background in operational leadership, business growth and developing high-performing teams.

In his new role, Richard will be supporting Harwood’s next stage of growth, helping to strengthen our operations, develop the team and ensure we continue to deliver the high standards of service our clients expect.

Richard describes himself as a strategic leader who also likes to stay close to the detail – an approach that will be invaluable as we continue to grow.

Welcome to the team, Richard.

05/10/2026

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is changing how it assesses existing higher-risk buildings in England.

Rather than reviewing building safety cases for all 15,000 high-rise buildings, the BSR is moving to a more targeted, evidence-led approach, with new guidance also expected on how cases will be assessed.

For social landlords, the key point is that the legal duties remain unchanged. Building safety cases must still be prepared for all higher-risk buildings, even if only some are selected for review.

This Inside Housing article looks at what the change could mean in practice, including concerns around consistency, information requirements, competence and regulatory capacity.

Full story here:
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/the-building-safety-regulator-is-changing-the-way-it-assesses-existing-buildings-what-does-this-mean-for-social-landlords-98732

What do you make of the revised approach? Could a more targeted assessment process bring greater consistency, or does moving away from reviewing every building create more risk?

The Building Safety Regulator was meant to be examining the building safety cases of all 15,000 high-rise buildings in England. Struggling with this mammoth task, the regulator is changing tack.

01/10/2026

It was a pleasure to host Modus Construction Consultants Ltd. and their clients in our corporate box at Brands Hatch for the final round of the 2026 British GT Championship season and the fight to decide this year's champions.

In a thrilling finale in the GT3 title race, the turning point came on lap 37, when series leader Rob Collard slid into the gravel, promoting Orange and Clutton (Orange Racing by JMH) to take the lead and win by more than 16 seconds.

As a result, Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton took outright victory, and, with it, the 2026 GT3 title. It was their first win of the season, and Orange's first ever trip to the top step of the podium.

Thank you to everyone at Modus for joining us for a brilliant day of racing in great company.

29/09/2026

Two recent government reports provide an update on progress following the Grenfell Inquiry recommendations, while highlighting the significant work still required across the sector.

The final report from interim Chief Construction Adviser Thouria Istephan sets out progress in areas including construction product regulation, professional standards, learning from safety risks and establishing a permanent Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser role.

The latest Grenfell Inquiry Progress Report also confirms that 30 of the 64 Phase 2 recommendations have now been completed, with further recommendations continuing through implementation.

Read the full update from PBC Today:

https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/building-control-news/government-fire-safety-update-laid-out-across-two-reports/165756/

At Harwood, we continue to support clients through a changing regulatory landscape, helping ensure projects meet the requirements of today while contributing to a safer built environment for the future.

The government fire safety update provides a final word from the interim Chief Construction Adviser and an update on the Grenfell Inquiry

28/09/2026

Twenty years of Harwood called for a special celebration.

To mark our 20th anniversary, we headed to Prague for a long weekend together – a chance to celebrate the milestone and, most importantly, recognise the hard work and dedication of everyone who has helped Harwood grow and go from strength to strength.

After arriving on Friday, we spent the weekend exploring the city, from the Old Town, farmers’ market and Prague Castle to the famous astronomical clock – with plenty of opportunities to sample the local culture along the way!

A highlight was Saturday evening, when we enjoyed a city tour followed by a dinner cruise along the Vltava, taking in some spectacular views of Prague by night.

We work closely together every day, but getting away from the office gave us the chance to spend time together outside of work, get to know each other even better and enjoy plenty of laughs and memorable moments.

A huge thank you to everyone across Harwood for your contribution to our journey so far. Twenty years is a fantastic milestone, and it was great to celebrate it together.

Here’s to Harwood’s next chapter.

25/09/2026

What does long-term staff retention really say about a business?

For us, it reflects culture, leadership, trust – and the day-to-day experience of being part of the team at Harwood.

Many of our colleagues have been with the business for years, seeing us grow, adapt and evolve. In a specialist field like building control, that continuity really matters. It strengthens client relationships, supports knowledge-sharing across the team and helps create an environment where people feel valued and able to progress their careers.

To explore what makes Harwood a place where people choose to stay, grow – and in some cases return to – we sat down with several team members to hear their stories and experiences.

https://www.harwood.uk.com/behind-the-h-why-people-stay-grow-and-return-to-harwood/

Discover why people choose to stay, grow and return to Harwood, from its supportive culture and flexibility to trust and career development.

24/09/2026

It’s been a memorable year for the sportspeople and clubs we support.

Racing prodigy Jayden Sherwood Motorsport has taken another step towards circuit racing, athlete Louise Evans has represented Great Britain on home soil, St Lawrence and Highland Court Cricket Club have celebrated a first Kent Cricket League Premier Division title since 2007, Canterbury Rugby Club are back in action for another National League Two campaign, and Snowdown Colliery Welfare Rfc embarks on its 96th year as part of the local sporting community.

For Harwood, supporting sport means creating opportunities, strengthening links with our local communities and helping talented individuals and teams continue to develop.

In our latest article, we celebrate some of the clubs and athletes we support, look back at their recent achievements and look ahead to what comes next:

https://www.harwood.uk.com/celebrating-the-sports-stars-and-clubs-we-back/

Discover how Harwood supports local sports clubs and athletes, from rising motorsport talent to community teams, helping people and sport thrive.