Guidance for Solicitors and Conveyancers on Building Control Certificates & Approvals

For the purpose of this guide the use of the term Full Plans relates only to Building Control documentation. It is not to be confused with any Town Planning records. For planning documents please contact our planning department at planning@southbucks.gov.uk

Building Regulations Applications
There are three types of Local Authority Building Regulation Application records and each has their own set of approvals and Completion Certificates.

1. Full Plans Applications
   These will have a decision notice (Approval, Conditional Approval or Rejection) issued for the plans. This decision relates only to the plans (and not the work onsite). Eg
   
   • If the application’s plans show compliance with the regulations then the plans will get an Approval.
   • If there are only minor issues with the plans then a Conditional Approval. 
   • If there are major issues then a Rejection notice will be sent
   Full Plans Applications will also have a Completion Certificate issued, if the works were completed in accordance with the building regulations. Completion certificates were not issued by this Council prior to 1992 .
   
   It is also possible for there to be a Completion Certificate (for the works as built onsite) for an application where the plans have been Rejected. However, if we are missing some statutorily required documentation then we will not be able to issue a Completion Certificate, even if the works are otherwise compliant on site. Eg an electrical certificate or a SAP calculation for a new house.
2. Building Notice
   This type of application will only have an acceptance letter and no approval notice is issued, as these applications are rarely accompanied by any drawings.
   
   The works are inspected as the work progresses on site, if all is compliant on site and all the relevant paperwork is received then this type of Application will receive a Completion Certificate.
3. Regularisation
   This type of application may be made if the works have already been carried out and an application was not made at the time of construction. There will be no Passing of Plans. There will be a Regularisation Certificate issued if, as far as we can reasonably ascertain, the works comply with the Building Regulations of the time the works were done. A regularisation application can only be made for work carried out after November 1985.
   
   A Regularisation certificate is only issued after inspections on site and in order that compliance is seen to be achieved then parts of the work may be required to be exposed.

Competent Person Schemes
We receive a notification from each respective Competent Person Scheme that works have been carried out in accordance with the terms of the scheme, by a member of that competent person scheme, for the following:

• Cavity Wall insulation
• Electrical Installations
• Gas Appliances
• Hot Water systems and Heating
• New or Replacement Windows
• Solid Fuel appliances

We do nothold copies of any completion certificates for a competent person’s work.
If you require any further information regarding this type of building record then you will need to contact the relevant Competent Person Scheme itself.

Approved Inspectors
Approved Inspectors are private companies who provide a Building Control services.

If an Approved Inspector is dealing with an application the Approved Inspector must submit an Initial Notice to the Council to let us know who is dealing with the works. Once complete the Approved Inspector must tell the Local Authority that the works are complete.

Our knowledge of the application will be limited and the work will not be inspected by the Local Authority. For any documentation you need to apply to the Approved Inspector involved.

If you need further information, please email your request to buildingcontrol@southbucks.gov.uk