Building Regulations Application Notes

Full plans

This type of application requires detailed drawings to be submitted to the local authority along with the relevant fee for the work being undertaken. The plans are checked and a decision notice is issued. This method enables
you to obtain confirmation that proposed plans and specifications comply with the requirements of the Regulations.

Building notice

This type of application is a simpler procedure, but cannot be used for developments where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies or for work which includes the erection of a building fronting on to a private street or to carry out building work that involves the building over of a public sewer. Basic details and the relevant fee are required. If the work involves the erection of a building or extension, the Notice should
accompanied by a block plan of a scale not less than 1:1250 the size and position of the building, or the building as extended, and its relationship to adjoining boundaries. The plans are not checked and therefore an approval
notice is not issued. Instead, work is allowed to commence with regular site inspections made at agreed stages of construction. If, during the inspection programme, certain aspects of the construction are in doubt, details and
plans will be requested for examination.

Regularisation

This type of application is for when you may have carried out work without the benefit of Building Regulations approval. If the work was done after the 11th November 1985, there is a procedure that you can use to obtain
permission retrospectively. You should submit two copies of plans showing the work before and after with full construction details, along with a regularisation application form and the appropriate fee. This type of fee does
not attract VAT. Once your application is received, a surveyor will contact you and arrange to visit the premises and evaluate what has been done (it may be necessary for work to be opened up for inspection). If
remedial work is necessary this will be highlighted and once corrected, a regularisation certificate will be issued.

Please indicate how you would prefer to receive written correspondence.

The applicant is the person on whose behalf the work is being carried out, i.e. the building’s owner

The agent, if applicable, is the person who is making the application on behalf of the applicant. In this case all correspondence will be sent to the agent.

Please provide the address or location where the work described in section 5 is taking or has taken place.

Please provide a full description of work, this is important as only the work described will be issued with a completion certificate. For Regularisation applications only please provide a date for when was the work carried
out. Existing or proposed use could be domestic dwelling, shop, office, industrial etc. Please provide details of how Foul & Surface water will be disposed of i.e. private drains, mains sewer, septic tank or soak away etc. All
Buildings other than simple dwellings come under the control of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Minor work such as replacing an existing socket outlet or a light switch on an existing circuit is not controlled under the building regulations. Additional lighting points and socket outlets can also be installed to an existing circuit, as long as they are not located in a kitchen or other special location, such as a bathroom, swimming pool, and garage or out building etc.

All other domestic electrical work, such as adding a new circuit to an existing system or works within a special location such as a bathroom, swimming pool, and garage or out building etc. is subject to building regulations.

Where electrical work is carried out by a competent person who is registered by a Part P Self-certification scheme there is no additional charge. Where the electrical work is being carried out as part of other work such as an extension a qualified electrician will be able to issue a BS7671 certificate to certify the work there is no additional charge. If an application is made to Building Control to inspect the work an additional charge is payable.

Not all the fees are payable on all applications

Full Plans Applications are subject to a plan fee on submission of the application and an inspection fee will be invoiced when the works commence.

A building notice fee is payable in full on submission. You should be sure that the work is going to take place before you submit the application as refunds are not available.

A regularisation fee is payable in full on submission. Please note that if it is not possible to issue a certificate for the work refunds are not available.

Additional fees payable for electrical inspection works are payable in full on submission.

Work for disabled people is exempt from fees provided that the whole of the building work in question is solely for the purpose of providing means of access for the disabled person by way of entrance or exit to or from the
building or any part of it, or for the purpose of providing accommodation or facilities designed to secure the greater health, safety, welfare or convenience of the disabled person.

Note: ‘disabled person’ means a person who is within any of the descriptions of persons to whom Section 29(1) of the National Assistance Act 1948, as extended by virtue of Section 8(2) of the Mental Health Act 1959,
applied but disregarding the amendments made by paragraph 11 of Schedule 13 to the Children Act 1989.The words in section 8(2) of the Mental Health Act 1959 which extend the meaning of disabled person in section
29(1) of the National Assistance Act 1948, are prospectively repealed by the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, section 66(2), Schedule 10, as from a day to be appointed.

Allowing conditions enables us to deal with your application more efficiently. Minor defects with the plans can be dealt with by the issue of a condition without you having to have plans altered.

The Building Act allows five weeks to give a decision on a "full plans" application. Our aim is to process every submission as quickly as possible. In some cases we may require more information from you. To allow you time to obtain this information, we suggest that you agree to the extension of the five week period to two months. Please note that It will not delay our processing of your application.

To be signed and dated by either the applicant or the agent.