Building Regulations
- What are the Building Regulations?
- Do I need Building Regulations approval?
- What is covered by Building Regulations?
- Building Regulations Update
- What happens if I contravene Building Regulations?
- Contact us
What are the Building Regulations?
Building Regulations ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings by providing functional requirements for building design and construction. In addition, the Regulations promote energy efficiency in buildings and contribute to meeting the needs of disabled people.
Builders and developers are required to obtain building control approval, an independent check that the Building Regulations have been complied with.
The Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) are the current regulations.
Please see the Manual to the Building Regulations (PDF, 9MB).
What is covered by Building Regulations?
The Building Regulations cover a wide range of building work from major office, shop and residential developments to small domestic works like extensions, through lounges and loft conversions.
Please see our 'Do I need Building Regulations approval?' page for information on common building projects and whether or not they require Building Regulations approval.
Approved Documents
Approved Documents offer guidance on how to comply with the regulations and cover the following aspects of construction:
They can all be found on the Approved Documents page (external link) on the GOV.UK website.
Further guidance can be found on our Useful Downloads page.
Building Regulations Updates
All changes and proposed changes to the Building Regulations are regularly put into our Building Regulations Updates, this can be found in the attached files section below.
Regular information about changes to the Building Regulations is also available from the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) previously known as Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Please see the external links section below to view the circulars.
What happens if I contravene Building Regulations?
The Building Regulations can be contravened by not following the building control procedures set out for handling your building work, and/or by carrying out building work which does not comply with the requirements contained in the Building Regulations.
Haringey has a general duty to enforce the Building Regulations in its area and will seek to do so by informal means wherever possible.
If a person carrying out building work contravenes the Building Regulations, the local authority may decide to take them to the Magistrates’ Court where they could be fined level 5 on the standard scale (unlimited) for the contravention, and £50 for each day the contravention continues (section 35 of the Building Act 1984). This action will usually be taken against the builder or main contractor, although proceedings must be taken within 6 months of the offence (section 127 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980).
Alternatively, or in addition, Haringey may serve an enforcement notice on the owner requiring them to alter or remove work which contravenes the Building Regulations (section 36 of the 1984 Act). If the owner does not comply with the notice the local authority has the power to undertake the work itself and recover the costs of doing so from the owner. Although an enforcement notice cannot be served on you after the expiration of 12 months from the date of completion of the building work, this does not affect a local authority’s (or any other person’s) right to apply to the Courts for an injunction for the same purpose.
Contact us
Should you be in any doubt as to whether your proposals would require consent or would like further information about Building Regulations, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Address
Building Control
Level 5 Alexandra House
10 Station Road
Wood Green
N22 7TR
Tel 020 8489 5504