Charnwood Borough Council

The Building Act 1984

The Building Act 1984 is the enabling Act under which the Building Regulations are made and empowers the Secretary of State to make regulations for the purpose of

• Securing the health, safety, welfare and convenience of persons in or about buildings and of others who may be affected by buildings or matters connected with buildings;
• Furthering the conservation of fuel and power;
• Preventing waste, undue consumption, misuse or contamination of water

The Building Act 1984 also imposes a duty on local authorities to enforce the Building Regulations in their areas and provides the empowerment for this to be done. The Act also grants local authorities a right of entry into buildings and provides for prosecution and enforcement proceedings against the perpetrators and owners of defective buildings and building work. Actions by local authorities in respect of dangerous structures and demolitions are also provided for by the Act.

Copies of the Building Act 1984 and its amending legislation are available from The Stationery Office.

The Building Regulations

The regulations currently in force are the Building Regulations 2000 (as amended). This statutory instrument (SI 2000/2531) is available from The Stationery Office.

The regulations are made under the Building Act 1984 for the purpose of setting minimum standards for the design of buildings.

In total, there are 15 main parts to the Building Regulations. Each one in turn is supported by an 'Approved Document' which provides practical and technical guidance, with examples, on how the regulations can be met in some of the more common building situations.

All Approved Documents, amendments and other suporting material are available by following the link below.

• Approved Documents