Printer friendly

Building Regulation Application

When do I need Building Regulation Approval?
You will generally need to submit a Building Regulation application before you start any building work such as:

• New buildings.
• Extending buildings.
• Loft conversions.
• Structural alterations e.g. forming openings, removing walls or chimneys.
• Non structural alterations that affect fire safety or access for people with disabilities.
• Drainage work i.e. installation of new drains, alteration or installation of appliances.
• Changing the use of a building to a house, flat, public building [e.g. school, theatre, hall, church], or institute [e.g. nursing home, hospital].

Part P - "Electrical Safety" - of the Building Regulations 2000 is now in force. The following guidance may help you determine works that may or may not be covered.

No.	File name	File size	Estimated download time	File type
1	Electrical Safety - Part P of the Building Regulations	13 k	10 secs	PDF	,
2	Overview of works covered by Approved Document P	77 k	1 min	PDF	,

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To view the above documents online, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Download Here!

There are a number of instances where Building Regulation permission is not necessary. These are explained below.

Please also remember to check with our Planning Officers who will be pleased to help you decide whether your proposal also requires Planning Permission.

They can be contacted through our Development Control Administration Team on any of the following telephone nos. :- 01895 837289, 01895 837284 or 01895 837200 or email planning@southbucks.gov.uk

Alternatively, you can ask for a copy of a free DETR booklet ‘ Planning A Guide For Householders ‘, which will help you to determine whether you require Planning Permission.

Those Alterations You Thought Never Needed Permission!!
Below is a list of some of the works (in addition to new buildings and extensions) which may be governed by Building Regulations:

Buildings Which Do Not Need Permission 
The buildings described below, are exempt from Building Regulations, but may require Planning Permission. Please contact the Council’s Planning Officers for further advice.

It would be advisable before proceeding to notify the Council ( both Building Control and Planning) with written details and sketches of your proposals. We will then confirm if the work is exempt. You may find it useful to keep our responses with the details of your property for future reference. This may be particularly useful when selling your property.

Extensions Which Are Exempt From Building Regulations
An extension at ground level with a floor area of no more than 30 sq. metres, which is either:

• A covered yard or covered way;
• A carport open on at least two sides;
• A conservatory or porch, which has glazing within 800mm of floor level to windows, and within 1500mm of floor level to doors and sidelights which:
  • if broken on impact, breaks in a way which will not cause injury, or
  • will resist impact without breaking, or
  • will be shielded or protected from impact.

(Please refer to the item on Conservatories and Porches for full exemption criteria)

• A verandah or loggia

Detached Buildings Which Are Exempt From Building Regulations

• Agricultural Buildings (including buildings used for horticulture, fruit growing, the growing of plants for seed and fish farming, but not those buildings used for retailing, packing or exhibition), as long as :
  • no part of the building is used as a house or flat; and
  • no part of the building is less than one and a half times its height from any part of another building which contains sleeping accommodation; and
  • the building is provided with a fire exit no more than 30 metres from any point within the building.
• Greenhouses - unless they are used for retailing, packing or exhibiting.
• Temporary Buildings - if it is to be used where it is, for less than 28 days.
• Mobile Homes - within the meaning of the Mobile Homes Act 1983, but not their drainage.
• Detached Garages, Sheds and outbuildings.
  • Provided they are single storey, and :-
  • the building does not contain any sleeping areas; and
  • has a floor area (measured internally) no larger than 30 sq. metres, and
  • no part of the building is less than 1 metre from any boundary, or,
  • the building has a floor area no larger than 15 sq. metres, built substantially of non combustible materials and contains no sleeping areas.

Conservatories And Porches: Do They Require Permission?
If the conservatory or porch complies with the following, then it is exempt from Building Regulations:

• is built at ground level, and
• is less than 30m2 in floor area, and
• is separated from other rooms by external doors, and
• in the case of a conservatory, not less than three-quarters of the area of its roof and not less than one half of the area of its external walls should be made from glazing materials
• the glazing materials to the external walls are either;
  • toughened glass, or
  • laminated glass, or
  • plastic, or
  • ordinary glass of equal thicknes and size to the following table:
    
    

Thickness			Size
6mm			max. 250mm wide and up to 0.5m2 in area
8mm			up to 1.10m2 in area
10mm			up to 2.25m2 in area
12mm			up to 4.50m2 in area
15mm			any size

Helpful Hints   
The Building Control Team at South Bucks has produced a number of helpful advice leaflets which are available FREE to the public. These give more guidance on specific topics.

• Thinking about extending, improving or altering your property
• Need to make a Building Regulation Application?
• Buildings which do not need Building Regulation Permission
• Conservatories and Porches, do they require Building
• Regulation permission?
• Regularisation Certificates
• Roofspace Conversions
• The Party Wall etc Act 1996
• Choosing Your Builder
• Smoke Detectors in Dwellings
• Information to be shown on drawings
• Domestic Heating Appliances
• Home Owners Checklist
• What can be done to improve security?
• Electrical Works

Copies are available from Building Control by contacting us on 01895 837212. or by emailing buildingcontrol@southbucks.gov.uk

LABC HALLMARK New Homes Warranty
It is an alternative 10 year new homes warranty. Contact tel no is 020 7399 7930, email info@hallmarkbsl.co.uk

Home insulation offer from Powergen
In partnership with Powergen the Local Authority to insulate your home with the county wall insulation and/or loft conversion at very competitive rates. To find out more, please call the Powergen helpline free on 0800 479 0162 quoting LABC.