Building Control and Approval Part 1

The purpose of Buildings Regulations, which apply in England and Wales, is to promote standards for several aspects of the construction of a building. This includes energy efficiency, and also the needs of all people, including the disabled, in accessing as well as moving around buildings. You can obtain Building Approval from the private sector or even Local Authority through an Approval Inspector. As to which route they take, it's all up to an individual though there isn't much to choose between. 

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If you opt for the route of the Local Authority, there are two phases which include Pre-Site Inspections & Site Inspections. There are basically three kinds of inspections which you can make and they include the following: 

Building Notice: this is normally for small or simple works 

Full Plans: this is for detailed schemes and in cases where Building Notice isn't allowed 

Regularisation: this is where you should have obtained an Approval but you didn't and the building works have now been completed. 

Building Notice 

Building Notice, as mentioned above, is most suited to projects which are of simple and smaller nature and which don't require detailed information or plans to be provided before starting constructions, which allows the work to start more quickly. The Notice needs to be submitted to Local Authority at least 48 hours prior to the commencement of work, together with the right fee. 

 During the process of inspection, the Building Inspector might ask for further information like structural design plans or calculations, and you have to supply all these details. Also, you must be sure that the work will meet the Building Regulations standards, or you risk correcting any work you do in case the local authority requests it. 

There are however, some types of work where the Building Notice cannot be used. They include: 

• Building work subject to section 1 of Fire Protection Act of 1971 
  
• For buildings that will be built near or over the top of foul drains or rain water indicated on ‘maps of sewers'. 
  
• Part II of Fire Precautions Regulations 1997 
  
• In cases where a new property will front on a private street 
  

Lastly, the local authority is not under any obligation to issue a Completion Certificate, and this may be a problem in future if you want to dispose of the property. 

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To be continued in Part 2.