Building regulations and fire safety

Our Building Control team within our Planning department and Approved Inspectors are responsible for signing off building plans to ensure they meet with current regulations. 

Building regulations and completion certificates

When notifiable building works are undertaken, such as the construction of a new ‘high-rise’ building, applicants need to make an application under the building regulations.

Typically, this application is then assessed at a design stage and then through a series of site inspections during construction.

Once a building has been finished, before it is occupied, a completion or final certificate is issued. It provides approval that the building meets current building regulations.

Who assesses compliance

In England, when following a Full Plans application, a plan for building work gets assessed before it is built. However, it may not always be built to specification, as deviations from the plan happen, for example if certain materials are not available substitutions can be used.

When dealing with high-rise buildings for example, the design phase has 4 touch points, a qualified architect, an engineer, a building control officer or approved inspector and the fire authority.

At the design stage a qualified the architect would employ a fire engineer to help design fire safety aspects. This design is then assessed by the building control officer or approved inspector with referral to the fire authority.

The typical building control process involves a formal assessment period within the decision period of 2 months or plans certificate. This is followed by a site inspection regime. The Council doesn’t have power to enter a site, it has to be invited and inspection is often through sampling.

For 'high-rise' buildings it is not uncommon to inspect at least once a week during the construction phase.

Helping improve the legal system

At a local level, a representative from the Building Control team attends London District Surveyors Association meetings. There is a fixed agenda item on compliance and legislation changes. In this forum, the Council can engage with committees and help contribute to change. We also report to the Local Authority Building Control who pass on comments to Government at national level.