We have all watched Property Development programmes on television and heard the words “building regulations”, but the truth is not many of us know exactly what they are. This article explains the basics of what they are, why you have to comply with them and how they affect the building processes.
What are the Building Regulations?
The Building Regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings primarily to ensure the health and safety of people in or around those buildings. These also look at energy conservation and access to and through buildings. Building Regulations are available from the local council. It’s worth checking their website too.
Building Regulations have nothing to do with planning permission. A lot of people think that when they get planning permission they can build whatever they want, but building regulations are a totally separate department, and they ensure that your building is sound and structurally correct. Even when no planning permission is needed, building regulations may be required. The type of work which require you to have building regulations approval include extensions, loft or cellar conversions, basically anything the affects the structure. The regulations are supported by other documents which generally give guidance on how to achieve the required performance standards.
Why comply with the Building Regulations?
It is important to understand how the building regulatory system applies to your situation. You are responsible for making sure that the work complies with the regulations if you are carrying out building work personally. You will also need approval from the local council.
In any development, whenever there are structural changes or alterations, you have to get them signed off by the building control officer. Building control officers will inspect the work on a regular basis to make sure that everything is done according to the various standards and guidelines, and will point you in the right direction if something goes astray. If they think there are health and safety issues, they will call in health and safety officers, and they will have the power to close your site down immediately.
If you are employing a builder, the responsibility will usually be theirs ‐ but you should confirm this at the very beginning. It is the house owner’s responsibility to ensure that the builder is able to legally carry out the job. You must ensure that he has the necessary insurance against defects of work or accident. You should also bear in mind that if you are the owner of the building, it is ultimately you who may be served with an enforcement notice if the work does not comply with the regulations.
Remember ‐ complying with Building Regulations is a separate matter from getting planning permission for your work. If you don’t sort out all this in advance, it could be very costly in both time and money. You may even have to re‐commission the work.
What building work should comply with Building Regulations?
The following types of projects are classed as ‘Building Work':
• the erection or extension of a building
• the installation or extension of a service or fitting which is controlled under the regulations
• 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
• relocation of bathrooms or kitchens
• new heated appliances
• the insertion of insulation into a cavity wall
• the underpinning of the foundations of a building
If you are planning to carry out such work, then it should comply with the Building Regulations.
The works themselves should meet the relevant technical requirements in the Building Regulations and they should not make other fabric, services and fittings less compliant than they previously were ‐ or dangerous. For example, if you replace external windows or doors, the building should comply with at least the same degree as it did before or, where it exceeded the standards, not be reduced below the standards in relation to:
• means of escape from fire
• air supply for combustion appliances and their flues
The Building Regulations may also apply to certain changes of use of an existing building. This is because the change of use may result in the building as a whole no longer complying with the requirements which will apply to its new type of use. In this case, it will have to beupgraded to meet additional requirements specified in the regulations for which building work may also be required.
What the regulations cover
The requirements with which building work should comply are contained in Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations and are grouped under the fourteen 'parts' below:
• Part A ‐ Structure
• Part B ‐ Fire safety
Volume 1 – dwelling houses
Volume 2 – Buildings other than dwelling houses
• Part C ‐ Site preparation and resistance to moisture
• Part D ‐ Toxic substances
• Part E ‐ Resistance to the passage of sound
• Part F ‐ Ventilation
• Part G ‐ Hygiene
• Part H ‐ Drainage and waste disposal
• Part J ‐ Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems
• Part K ‐ Protection from falling, collision and impact
• Part L ‐ Conservation of fuel and power
L1A – New dwellings
L1B – Existing dwellings
L2A – New buildings other than dwellings
L2B – Existing buildings other than dwellings
• Part M ‐ Access to and use of buildings
• Part N ‐ Glazing – safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning
• Part P ‐ Electrical safety
This article has been put together by the distance learning organisation Start Learning who are experts in home study. If you want to find out more about Property Development or many other distance learning courses please browse their website: http://www.start-learning.co.uk
A good way to find out more about Property Development is to sign up for a distance learning course on the subject. By studying in your free time and pace, you can gain the necessary knowledge while tailoring it to suit your schedule.
Kerrana McAvoy
Academic Director – Start Learning
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