Building Control
Development House
Lombard Street
West Bromwich
B70 8RU

Tel: 0121 569 4054/4055
Fax: 0121 569 4140
Email: building_consultancy@sandwell.gov.uk
Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 8.30am - 5.30pm. Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm

• Guidance on Planning and Building Regulations - Planning Portal

Building Regulations Part B from 6th April 2007

There are new Building Regulations which were implemented on 6th April 2007.

The new regulations relate to the following:-

• Approved Document B (Fire Safety) Volume 1: Dwellinghouses
• Approved Document B Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellinghouses (2006 Edition)

Copies of the above Approved Documents can be downloaded free of charge from the Planning Portal website.

Guidance Note

Fire Safety in all buildings, with the exception of a house used as a private dwelling, must satisfy the requirements of "The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005", this legislation, in the main is enforced by the Fire and Rescue Authority.

In order to prevent confusion, the Building Regulations have been amended by the following:-

The Buildings and Approved Inspectors (Amendment)(No 2) Regulations 2006

Paragraph (2) inserts a new regulation 16B which requires a person carrying out work to a building or part of a building to which the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies or will apply to give fire safety information in relation to that building to the responsible person. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all premises other than houses occupied as a private dwelling.

The "responsible person" who will manage or own the building must develop and maintain a "Fire Risk Assessment" upon occupation of the building.

Guidance documents are available to download free of charge on how to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and how to prepare fire risk assessments for various types of buildings. They are also a source of information when considering the design of buildings.

Full Plans Procedure

The Council are required by law to give a decision of the application within 5 weeks or with the agreement of both the Council and applicant within 2 months of deposit. If minor defects in the plan are discovered, the Council will allow you the opportunity to amend the plans, provided sufficient time is available within the 5 weeks statutory period, or a Conditional Approval may be issued to cover these items with your agreement.

The Councils Officers are available to advise you and in particular, if you consider that you want advice before the submission of your plans, an appointment can be arranged to meet the local Building Surveyor. Please note that Building Control do not act as your designer and are not responsible for project managing your building contract.

Building Notice Procedure

Once a Building Notice is submitted, work can commence on site 48 hours after deposit of the notice.

This procedure cannot be used if the building in question is or will be the subject of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 ie in simplistic terms, this is likely to be any building other than a single family dwelling house.

This procedure cannot be used where a new building, extension to a building or a foundation underpinning operation is proposed that will be within 3.0m of a sewer identified on the map of sewers maintained by Severn Trent Water.

This procedure cannot be used where a new building is proposed and the property does not front a street.

Information about how the Regulations might apply to various types of building projects can be accessed through an interactive house.

Completion Certificates

Providing that each stage of inspection has been notified to the Council and the Building Control Surveyor is satisfied that the work complies with the Building Regulations, a "Completion Certificate" will be issued; this certificate is your assurance that the work complies with the Building Regulations.

Regularisation Certificates

It is quite common for alterations or extensions undertaken without building regulation approval to cause difficulties when you are selling a house.

This happens when the vendor cannot supply the purchaser with the appropriate approval notice and/or completion certificate. This calls into question the quality of building construction and the structural integrity of the work. However, you can now apply to Building Control for a Regularisation Certificate for work undertaken after 11th November 1985, a premium fee is payable for this service and breaches to the Building Regulations may need to be rectified.

The need to apply to Building Control when carrying out work is a statutory Requirement. Compliance with the Building Regulations does not provide you with any form of guarantee or warranty.

LABC Services work with various private sector organisations to provide warranty protection on Building projects.

Competent Persons Schemes

Competent persons schems allow individuals and enterprises to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations rather than submitting a building notice or using an approved inspector.

The principles of self-certification are based on giving people who are competent in their field the ability to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations without the need to submit a building notice. The scheme should help tackle the problems of 'cowboy builders', and assist local authorities with enforcement of the Building Regulations.

Visit the DCLG website for more information.

LABC

LABC is the national organisation representing Local Authority Building Control Departments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Each local authority provides a service to ensure building work complies with the Building Regulations. The regulations ensure that we live, work and play in a safe and healthy built environment.

Please use the link provided to access the LABC website to find the details of the services provided, and to identify the Local Authority that is responsible for the property that you have an interest in.

Partnership Authority Scheme

The purpose of this initiative is to provide a Partner Company a one to one relationship with a Partner Authority of their choice. It is the Partner Authority's role to carryout the plan checking aspect of all Building Regulation applications irrespective of location and to liaise closely with the Local Authority where the project is to be built. After the Partner Authority has assessed the proposed plans, a Decision Advice Notice will be issued which will lead to automatic Approval by the Inspecting Authority. At construction stage, the Inspecting Authority will undertake all necessary site inspections.

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