Building Regulations Deadlines

Several areas of Building Regulations in England & Wales were revised during 2022. For home extension and alteration works, this primarily concerns thermal performance and ventilation. For new homes or alterations to flats etc, this may also concern design to mitigate overheating and requirements for electric car charging points. Please note Building Regulations Deadlines which… Read more »

2015 Building Regulations Update

The Building Regulations for England and Wales are regularly being updated and adjusted, and it can be difficult keeping up to date with the changes. Local Authority Building Control have prepared the document below which provides a handy summary of recent key changes to the regulations.  Key changes include: Introduction of Approved Document Part Q… Read more »

National Space Standards

The Department for Communities and Local Government released a statement just before Easter regarding changes primarily to the Planning System. A significant element of this sets minimum space standards for new build homes in England. Local Planning Authorities will need to consider local housing needs and any impact on land availability affordability in implementing the standards. It… Read more »

Changes to Building Regulations With almost half of the UK Co2 emissions coming from our buildings, we are in a staged process of increasing standards for the energy performance of all buildings. The UK national target is for zero carbon emissions for all new housing by 2016 and for all other buildings by 2019, with… Read more »

Building Regulations Scotland, Energy Standards

The Scottish Government have made an announcement regarding the next set of energy standards within Scottish building regulations.  The Minister for Planning, Derek Mackay, has advised that the revised standards, to be introduced from October 2015, will deliver a 21% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from new homes and a 43% reduction in emissions from… Read more »

Legacy Building Warrants, Scotland

The Head of Building Standards in Scotland has written on the 4th June to the Chief Executives of the Local Authorities with an update on the handling of existing building warrants for housing developments. This follows a February 2013 Building Standards Division meeting where it was agreed that, although a sympathetic approach is still required in… Read more »

Building Regulations Scotland, 2013 Amendments

The 2013 Edition of the Technical Handbooks are now available online: hard copies of these documents will no longer be available. The revised handbooks support the Building (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 which are scheduled to come into force on 1 October 2013.  The amendments are limited in extent with the principle revisions being as follows:… Read more »

The Technical Housing Standards Review (England)

The Government is currently undertaking a review of all of the standards and regulations affecting new homes, with a plan of action and initial consultation due to be published by late spring 2013.  The findings are awaited with interest; the outcomes will determine not just the quality of new homes, but the way we live in the future…. Read more »