Applications - What do I need to do?

There Is a Legal Obligation on the Part on the Owner of the Building and the Person Carrying Out the Building Work to Make Sure That the Building Regulations and Other Related Legislation Are Complied With.

• If you wish to know your responsibilities please follow this link http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/responsibilities/ (this takes you to the planning portal site)
• If you wish to know further details on failure to comply with the Building Regulations please follow the link http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/responsibilities/buildingregulations/failure (this takes you to the planning portal site)

Do I Need to Apply for Building Regulation Consent?

• Click on the photo to take you to the planning portal, this then provides an interactive guide to common projects of building works and contains a section on Building Regulations and also Planning Permission.
  This guide relates to detached dwellings

Click on the photo to take you to the planning portal, this then provides an interactive guide to common projects of building works and contains a section on Building Regulations and also Planning Permission.
This guide relates to terraced properties and considers flats, shops and basements

If in Doubt Please Ask!

A Small Sample of Projects Requiring Building Regulations Are:

• Erect or Extend a building 
• Loft conversion
• Garage conversion
• Removing walls, non load bearing or load bearing
• Sub diving a room into two, such as a large bedroom into two rooms
• Add a bathroom, en-suite or cloakroom
• New drainage above or below ground
• Replacement windows or doors
• Adding Solar panels
• Creating a new window/door opening or filling one in
• Conservatories open to the dwelling, heated from the main heating system, or greater than 30m2 floor area
• Change of use of a building or part of a building, for example: an office into a flat, a house into 2 flats, an office to a shop or public building, adding a heating system to previously unheated building, there are numerous examples of this so please ask.
• Re-roofing with a material that is an increase of 15% in weight or more
• Replacing part of all of a floor (concrete or timber), plastering or rendering a wall, renewing a ceiling etc, this is called renovation of a thermal element
• An alteration project involving work which will temporarily or permanently affect the ongoing compliance of the building, service or fitting with the requirements relating to structure, fire, or access to and use of buildings. For example, if you are intending to change the means of access to your home, you will require building regulation approval.
• Underpinning the foundations of a building
• Removing a chimney breast either full height or part of
• Replacement of Flue or Flue lining, fireplace or chimney
• Installation of a multi fuel stove or similar
• Building work

See our guidance sheets relating to several of the above

There are numerous other examples of when regulations apply so please remember there is a legal obligation on the part on the owner of the building and the person carrying out the building work to make sure that the Building Regulations and other related legislation are complied with.

If in doubt please ask!  Should you require us to confirm that an application is required or not, we will happily do so in writing for a fee, please contact us

So the Building Regulations Apply, What Do I Do Next?

1. Choose either the Full Plans Method or the Building Notice Method, Unless the work is of a very minor nature, the Council recommends the full plans method, if the building is one to which the Fire Safety Regulatory Reform Order applies only the Full Plans Method can be used, this additionally applies if a sewer is within 3m or the building fronts a private street.
2. Once the method is decided, then an application is required, follow the link to the application forms, fees and service information
3. 48 Hours after the application is deposited you can commence the works, but we recommend that where the full plans method is selected you wait for a set of approved plans to follow, but if you decide to start then there is a legal requirement to notify us at set stages, please look at the following link  Advising the council for inspections

4. Should you wish to change details from an approved plan then please give us a call and discuss this.  If in doubt please ask! Contact us

It should be noted that the above notifications are a legal requirement, the neglect of which can result in the Council serving a statutory notice on the person carrying out the work requiring that the work is cut into, layed open or pulled down to the extent that is necessary for it to determine that the Building Regulations have been complied with. Failure to comply will also have the consequence that the Council may not be able to issue a Completion Certificate in respect of the work.

When the building work has been completed, provided that it complies with the Building Regulations and provided also that the Building Control Surveyor has been notified correctly throughout the duration of the project, the Council will issue a Certificate of Completion. This will be evidence that the Council believes that the Building Regulations requirements have been satisfied and is an important document as it is often asked for by building societies prior to the release of mortgage funds and also by purchaser's conveyancing solicitors during the sale of properties.