Building regulations approval

The  Health and Safety Executive now manage the Building Regulation process. This change affects the Council Building Control services, approved inspectors and developers. 

Some of the new laws will start now and other new laws will come later. The whole new process will be in place by 6 April 2024.

Changes 1 October 2023

From 1 October 2023 The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 legislation will become law.

This applies to anyone involved in the Building Control process. You must follow this regulation whether you are dealing with an approved inspector or Council building control. 

Anyone involved in the project has to declare that they are fully competent to undertake all aspects of the work. 

When you apply for building regulation approval (including full plans and building notices) you must: 

“make suitable arrangements for planning, managing and monitoring a project (including allocation of sufficient time and other resources) so as to ensure compliance with all relevant requirements” (Reg 11A)

This means the application must list the people working on the project and that they have the right skills and experience.

All developments must have a Principal Designer and a Principal Contractor. We need details of these with your application. It is your responsibility to appoint people who are fully capable of carrying out the work in line with Building Regulations.

For domestic work the person who designed the project and the contractor undertaking the work are automatically selected as Principal Contractor and Principal Designer unless you choose someone else. The workers must be fully competent. The designer for the building work will automatically have responsibilities and will need to be aware of them.

It is yours and your contractors responsibility to make sure that all work complies with the Building Regulations.