Advice Note 4 - Building Regulations ControlEnquire Now


What Is The Difference Between Building Regulations And Planning Permission?

It is generally understood that a form of permission is required for building work or alterations of properties.  However, it may not always be clear how the Planning Permission and Building Regulations approval regimes differ.


Building Regulations

Building Regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the health and safety for people in or about those buildings. They also include requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved and facilities are provided for people, including those with disabilities, to access and move around inside buildings. Planning Permission seeks to guide the way our towns, cities and countryside develop. This includes the use of land & buildings, the appearance of buildings, landscaping considerations, highway access and the impact that the development will have on the general environment. For many types of building work, separate permission under both regimes (separate processes) will be required.  For other building work such as internal alterations building regulations approval will probably be needed, but planning permission may not.


When You Need Building Regulations Approval

If you are carrying out building work personally it is very important that you understand how the building regulatory system applies to your situation as you are responsible for making sure that the work complies with the building regulations. If you are employing a builder, the responsibility will usually be theirs, but you should confirm this at the very beginning.  You should also bear in mind that if you are the owner of the building, it is ultimately you who may be served with an enforcement notice if the work does not comply with the regulations. Some kinds of building projects are free from regulations, however generally if you are planning to carry out building work as defined in Regulation 3 of the Building Regulations, then it must comply. The works themselves must meet the relevant technical requirements in the building regulations and they must not make other fabric, services and fittings less compliant than they were before.  In summary, the following types of project amount to 'Building Works':



Let Agrarian Help

Please feel free to contact Peter Hall either by telephone or email peter.hall@agrarian-uk.com to discuss a project you may have in mind. We provide a FREE, no obligation, initial telephone consultation to discuss your project and we would welcome your call.


Local Authority Partnering Scheme

Agrarian are registered with the Local Authority Partnering Scheme. This means we get a consistent interpretation of the Building Regulations on our projects, a single point of contact, less paperwork and fewer queries. This means fewer delays for our clients and reduced project timescales.