Building Regulations in Brief

Ray Tricker, Samantha Alford

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN: 9781000572285
• Edition: 10
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture General

This tenth edition of the most popular and trusted guide reflects all the latest amendments to the Building Regulations, planning permission and the Approved Documents in England and Wales. This includes coverage of the recent changes to use classes, updated sections on planning permission, permitted development and application fees. We have included the revisions to Approved Document B (as a result of the Hackitt Review), as well as the latest changes to Approved Documents F and L, and the new documents O (overheating) and S (electric vehicle charging points), which come into effect in June 2022.

Giving practical information throughout on how to work with (and within) the Regulations, this book enables compliance in the simplest and most cost-effective manner possible. The no-nonsense approach of Building Regulations in Brief cuts through any confusion and explains the meaning of the Regulations. Consequently, it has become a favourite for anyone working in or studying the building industry, as well as those planning to have work carried out on their home. It is essential reading for all building contractors and subcontractors, site engineers, building engineers, building control officers, building surveyors, architects, construction site managers and DIYers.

1The Building Act 1984

DOI: 10.1201/9781003175483-1

The Building Act 1984 applies in England and Wales and is the United Kingdom statute under which the Building Regulations have been made.

1.1 What is the Building Act 1984?

The Building Act 1984 imposes a set of requirements by which the Secretary of State ensures that the health, welfare and convenience of persons living in or working in or near buildings is secured.

The primary purpose of the Building Act 1984 is to help with the conservation of fuel and power, to prevent waste, undue consumption, misuse or contamination of water, and to ensure that those who are in or near buildings are kept safe. The Building Act 1984 imposes a set of requirements on owners and occupiers of buildings which cover the design and construction of buildings as well as the provision of services, fittings and equipment that is used in (or in connection with) buildings. These involve:

• A method of controlling (including inspecting and reporting) buildings.
• Guidance on how services, fittings and equipment may be used.
• A mechanism for the inspection and maintenance of any service, fitting or equipment used.

1.1.1 What about the rest of the United Kingdom?

The Building Act 1984 only applies to England and Wales. Separate Acts and Regulations apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland; these are shown in Table 1.1.

Scotland

In Scotland, the requirements for buildings are controlled by the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 as amended. The methods for implementing these requirements are similar to those for England and Wales; however, the guidance documents for achieving compliance are contained in two Technical Handbooks (2020), one for domestic work and one for non-domestic work. The main procedural difference between the Scottish system and elsewhere in the UK is that a building warrant is required before work can start in Scotland.

Table 1.1 Building legislation within the United Kingdom

		Act		Regulations		Implementation
England and Wales		Building Act 1984		Building Regulations 2010		Approved Documents
Scotland		Building (Scotland) Act 2003		Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004		Technical Handbooks
Northern Ireland		Building Act (Northern Ireland) Order 1979		Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012		Technical Booklets

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the primary legislation for buildings is the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) Order 1979, under which are the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. The Principal Regulations comprise 17 parts and are supported by Technical Booklets which are used to ensure that the requirements are implemented.

Wales

The changes to the Approved Documents which come into effect in England have to be ratified by the Welsh Assembly. Therefore, occasionally earlier versions of the Approved Documents still apply in Wales until the Assembly catches up with English changes.

Free pdf copies of these Approved Documents are available from www.gov.uk/government/collections/approved-documents

1.2 What does the Building Act 1984 contain?

The Building Act 1984 is made up of five parts:

• Part 1: The Building Regulations
• Part 2: Supervision of building work etc. other than by a Local Authority
• Part 3: Other provisions about buildings
• Part 4: General
• Part 5: Supplementary.

These parts are then broken down into a number of sections and sub-sections. Table 1.2 provides a summary of the titles of the sections of Building Regulations that apply in England and Wales.

1.3 What are the Supplementary Regulations?

The Supplementary Regulations that make up Part 5 of the Building Act comprise seven schedules. The function of these sections is to list the principal areas that require regulation and to show how the Building Regulations are to be controlled by Local Authorities. These schedules are:

• Schedule 1: Building Regulation
• Schedule 2: Relaxation of Building Regulations for existing work
• Schedule 3: Inner London
• Schedule 4: Provisions consequential upon Public Body’s Notice
• Schedule 5: Transitional provisions
• Schedule 6: Consequential amendments
• Schedule 7: Repeal.

We discuss each area on the following pages.

1.4 What are Approved Documents? (Building Act 1984 Section 6)

Approved Documents are a series of documents which provide practical guidance on how to comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations. More details about Approved Documents are contained in Chapter 3 of this book and on the gov.uk website.

Table 1.2 Building Regulations for England and Wales

Section		Title		Edition		Latest amendment
A		Structure		2004		2010 & 2013
B		Fire safety Volume 1: Dwellings Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings		2019 2019		2020 2020
C		Site preparation and resistance to moisture		2004		2013
D		Toxic substances		1992		2013
E		Resistance to the passage of sound		2003		2015
F		Ventilation Volume 1: Dwellings Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings		2021
G		Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency		2015		2016
H		Drainage and waste disposal		2015		2015
J		Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems		2010		2013
K		Protection from falling, collisio...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• Preface
• 1 The Building Act 1984
• 2 The Building Regulations 2010
• 3 The requirements of the Building Regulations
• 4 Planning permission
• 5 Work that requires planning permission or Building Regulations approval
• 6 Meeting the requirements of the Building Regulations – dwellings
• 6.3 Drainage
• 6.7 Ceilings
• 6.11 Windows
• 6.15 Sanitary accommodation, bathrooms and showers
• 7 Meeting the requirements of the Building Regulations – buildings other than dwellings
• Index