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Labour's ADJ Failure Set To Cost Oil Heating Industry £60m

4th May 2010

On the eve of the UK General Election, Labour's John Denham, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has been accused of abdicating his responsibilities, following the publication of the new 2010 edition of Approved Document J (ADJ).

The stinging criticism came after it emerged Mr. Denham's department has seemingly rejected self-financing industry proposals for the reform of oil storage guidance within ADJ - despite an extensive consultation exercise held last year.

Proposals submitted by the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC), the Environment Agency and leading oil storage tank manufacturers had called for the introduction of compulsory secondary containment at all domestic oil storage installations. These proposals would have provided for either the construction of a masonry bund; or the installation of integrally bunded oil storage tanks at new and replacement domestic installations. A bund is containment area, which acts as a failsafe in the event of a spill from a heating oil tank.

Secondary containment is already a legal requirement at most agricultural, commercial and industrial fuel storage installations, together with most domestic oil heating installations. It is estimated that bunded tanks now represent over 90% of domestic oil tank sales in the UK. The introduction of compulsory secondary containment would have reduced the disproportionate cost and environmental impact of the small number of new and replacement installations at which secondary containment is currently omitted. Yielding potential savings of up to £12.5m per annum, compulsory secondary containment would have all but eliminated the risk of an environmental pollution incident at domestic oil storage installations.

Perhaps, even more usefully, it would also have seen an end to a regulatory loophole, which provides a lifeline to a small number of rogue installers who undercut responsible rivals, through the installation of high risk, single skin oil tanks.

OilFiredUp.com spoke this afternoon with one industry source who was scathing in their criticism of Labour's failure to act. They said, "The inaction of Labour's John Denham shows just how out of touch the current Labour Government is with reality.

"There was an industry wide expectation that John Denham would oversee reform of current installation requirements, which not only do not, but cannot provide the level of environmental protection a reasonable person would expect. Instead, the response of the Labour government has been inaction. John Denham has abdicated his responsibilities to the environment, to industry, and to thousands of homeowners and householders throughout England and Wales. Mr. Denham had an opportunity to demonstrate his support for the thousands of responsible installers who typify the oil heating industry. Instead, the Labour minister chose to back the small number of cowboys within the industry."

These comments were echoed by an oil tank installer who contacted OilFiredUp.com. Based in the North West, they told OilFiredUp.com of their disbelief at the failure of the Labour minister to act, "Labour talk about building a fair future for all. But they forget to say their vision of a fairer future doesn't apply to installers who play by and stick by the rules.

"Approved Document J is variously incompehensible and a Cowboy's Charter. Even OFTEC has acknowledged that Building Control Officers - the very people who are responsible for implementing the Building Regulations - struggle to understand them. Through reforming Approved Document J and at a time when counting the pennies was never more important, there was an opportunity to save over £60m during the lifetime of the next parliament alone. An opportunity, which this Labour government has foregone.

"Mr. Denham's inaction will cost the environment, will cost the economy and will cost the industry. Hopefully, on Thursday the good people of Southampton Itchen will cost Mr. Denham his job. Recognising that Gordon Brown and the Labour government are toast, OFTEC needs as a matter of utmost urgency to arrange a meeting with Mr. Denham's successor on Friday morning on behalf of their Registered Technicians throughout England and Wales."

This article was originally published on Oil Heating News website OilFiredUp.com and is reproduced with the agreement of OilFiredUp.com. The views and opinions contained therein do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Clarehill Plastics Limited.