NEW guidelines to combat cowboy builders are being considered by Bury Council chiefs. Following a climate of concern over rogue builders, Bury Council will respond to a consultation document issued by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, which looks at ways to regulate the industry. Complaints from consumers about shoddy workmanship, inappropriate materials, over-charging and illegal trading methods have risen each year and have been well documented in reports from consumer and lobby bodies and exposes in the media.

As part of the drive to improve the service given by the construction industry, the DETR and other bodies want to ensure that consumers can select builders with the confidence that they are up to the job.

A report by Borough Environmental Services Officer, Alan Freer, said it is clear that the average consumer has little chance of distinguishing between good builders and bad builders.

He said: "This is a complex problem to which there is no simple quick-fix solution."

The report calls for a package of measures across the board which would improve customer protection, raise the standards of the service and ensure proper means of redress if things went wrong.

Council chiefs in Bury hope that their response, along with those of other local authorities, will eventually filter back and to help tackle local problems.

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