Building Regulations and Planning

What are the Building Regulations?

If you are considering undertaking any development you must consider whether the project will need to have planning permission and/or a Building Regulations application. These are two separate applications and must be applied for individually.

Building Regulations are national standards for England and Wales which apply to most types of buildings, whether in the home or a commercial development. They ensure that the environment in which we all live is a safe and healthy place.

They also ensure that adequate access and facilities are provided for people with disabilities and include requirements for conservation of fuel and power. Go to the Legislation.gov.uk website to view the Building Regulations 2010.

For further information about planning permission and Building Regulations visit the Planning Portal website.

LABC Library

Why not go to our library of publications? Here you will find easy-to-follow guidance on many different topics relating to the Building Regulations.

Resolving Complaints

All LABC members share the services of Regional Arbitration and Conciliation teams. This provides a fast method of hearing and resolving complaints at no cost to the customer.

The system works by creating a peer group review. The matter will be considered in a way suited to the nature of the complaint. There might be procedural complaints, service complaints, disagreements on the meaning of Approved Documents or other technical disagreements about calculations, designs, product performance or product installation. Once the nature of any complaint has been established, all parties will be contacted and a procedure agreed. The customer will have direct access and be kept informed. If they wish, they can request to present technical evidence or involve other professional or experts (for example manufacturer or trade body representatives).

The first point of contact should be the Regional Chair or Regional Arbitration Representative. You can view these contact details by clicking here and selecting the appropriate region of the country.

Alternatively, contact Marie Buckley at LABC via email marie.buckley@labc.uk.com or telephone 07515 998537. You may also want to download the Model Arbitration and Conciliation Procedure document.

Approved Inspectors

Local authorities do not administer complaints about the services offered by Approved Inspectors, though local authorities do undertake enforcement through law for unresolved technical breaches of the Building Regulations.

To complain about an Approved Inspector either go to the ACAI website for iissues with its members, or to the CIC website for complaints about independent or freelance Approved Inspectors.