Confirm the new site service requirements before the move decision
- Topic
- Relocation decisions
- Reading time
- 3 minutes
- Last reviewed
On this page
Confirm whether the building’s services can support the proposed operation. Give the property and engineering advisers the intended activities and ask them to assess the actual provision. The business decision needs their findings, the required changes and credible dates.
Describe operating requirements in terms the advisers can investigate. Avoid copying a service specification from the old site and assuming it remains appropriate. The product range, equipment combination and working pattern may all be changing.
Separate four different states
For each relevant service, distinguish what is present from what is suitable and what still has to happen.
| State | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Existing provision | Current records and the competent person's findings about the actual site |
| Assessed requirement | Requirements for the intended operation, established by the relevant specialist |
| Proposed change | Scope, permissions, responsibilities and unresolved questions |
| Available for business use | Required assessment, acceptance and delivery confirmation for the intended activity |
Use the headings for electricity, water, communications and any process-specific services identified by the advisers. Do not turn the record into an owner-made calculation of load, ventilation or discharge capacity.
The same brief needs to cover the people using the premises. In Great Britain, HSE's workplace guidance includes appropriate ventilation, lighting and welfare provision. Those requirements deserve assessment alongside production needs.
A delivery date can decide whether a site remains an option
In a fictional move, a candidate unit appears suitable after an initial visit. The engineering assessment identifies a service change before the proposed production arrangement can operate. The required delivery date has not been confirmed.
The owner now has a different question from “does the machine fit?” The site comparison must show the unresolved change, who controls its delivery and what the business would do if it is late. A hoped-for installation date should not be used as the confirmed start of customer production.
Ask whether any proposed temporary arrangement is technically suitable and permitted before costing it. The owner's need to keep trading does not establish that the alternative is acceptable.
Connect the technical answer to the commercial decision
Check the permitted activities as well as the service provision. A suitable engineering proposal does not, on its own, establish every property or regulatory permission.
Update the space budget if the assessed arrangement changes the premises requirement. Services and support equipment can affect what space remains usable for the business, so the property comparison needs the current version.
Before committing to an operating date, use the new-site readiness test to distinguish completed work from an accepted functioning operation. Leave technical acceptance and safe work methods with the responsible competent people.
Tell UK Auction Group if an unresolved destination service affects the release of old equipment. The enquiry can describe the intended surplus while making clear that its availability depends on a decision still outstanding.
More early move decisions are in Relocation decisions.
Sources
- HSE: Workplace facilities Checked
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.