Part L2 Wales software update

[Gemmadee]

Hi,

I've just spoken to IES over the phone. The new Welsh regulations come into force today and we have a project that we need to issue in the next week or so, under the new regulations. However, I've just been told that they haven't scoped out the extent of the work required to update the software yet and so have no timeline for the work to be completed.

Does anyone know if this is correct? I've seen that the updated iSBEM has already been released.

Thanks,
Gemma.

[Terence]

Although SBEM has been released we have not yet received a final modelling guide required in order to start work on Part L for Wales. We have been told that there will be a months hand over period from Part L 2010 England & Wales to Part L for Wales 2014 but I doubt we will able to carry out the required in that length of time.

If we receive any further information then we will keep you informed by posting back here.

[JohnLloyd]

As Terence has said, the final version of the NCM Modelling Guide for Wales has not yet been released.

A draft version of the document is available which looks to be pretty final to me, but you can't blame IES for not wanting to commit resources until the final is released. If I was in their position I'd probably do the same thing.

On the plus side, the changes between the Welsh and English NCM Modelling Guide appear to be relatively small and should be (in my poorly informed opinion!) fairly easy to implement.

[JohnLloyd]

The final document has now been issued and is available here: http://www.ncm.bre.co.uk/disclaimer.jsp

I'm assuming the development guys were already aware of this? If so, have we got a rough timetable for how long you think it'll take you to implement it into the software?

[Terence]

Hi John,

We hope to have something ready in time for our Feature Pack 2 release. Exact date TBC as it is dependent on other project timescales but if I were to guess i'd say around November. We will be providing an SBEM offering to this only.

[JohnLloyd]

Thanks Terence. Just to he clear, you're not intending on providing any Welsh DSM software at all? And SBEM interface is unlikely before November?

[Terence]

Yes, SBEM for Part L Wales will be ready for our Feature pack 2 release which we hope to have ready in November. DSM for Welsh regs is not currently in the plan but never say never...

[Phil OLoughlin]

Hi Terence
This is alarming news indeed!
Wales have a 'Building Schools for the 21st Century' programme. This is similar to BSF and PSBP in England.
We are in a good place to become involved in a significant number of theses and would be expecting to use DSM to keep control of our compliance calculations. The idea of an SBEM only edition from IES <VE> is really going to compromise our capability to deliver honed advise and results. We need confirmation this is the intention to inform our decisions on what we do about this.

[JohnLloyd]

Phil, we are in a similar position and were anticipating DSM software to be available. While IES are of course under no obligation to produce this software should they choose not to, the decision has left us in a difficult position.

It's a strange situation for Wales to have the most onerous regulations in the UK, but have the least flexible software (SBEM) for demonstrating compliance.

[SteveBurrows]

I'd like to throw my support behind Phil and John's comments, which is putting us in a difficult position as well.

It's come as somewhat of a shock as I think most users in Wales assumed IES would be developing it.