Summary

Complete details of the procedure involved in making a Building Regulations Full Plans submission.

 

Attachments

Adobe Acrobat's portable document format (pdf). To view these files you will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. This can be downloaded free at Adobe's web site| [External].

 

Full Plans submission form (pdf 171kb)|.

 

 

 

Making a Full Plans submission

This is the most common type of Building Regulations application that is made. It is suitable to make this type of application for any type of building work as long as the work has not already been carried out.

 

Full Plans submission form (pdf 171kb)|.

 

 

Submitting the application

When submitting a Full Plans application, it must be accompanied by a number of items:-

 

1. A completed application form that has been signed and dated.
2. A location plan of the property at a scale of not less than 1 to 1250 (for an application consisting of the erection or extension of a building).
3. Copies of scale drawings to show that the proposed work will comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations, (two sets of drawings for domestic work, three sets for all other type of work). A set of drawings will usually consist of plans, sections and elevations of the proposal.
4. Copies of a specification of the proposed works to show that the proposal will comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations, (two sets for domestic work, three sets for all other type of work). The specification may take the form of notes on the drawings, or may be a separate document.
5. Two copies of structural calculations (if appropriate).
6. The correct plan charge to accompany the application. (Link to Scale of Charges)|

 

The purpose of a Full Plans submission is that the completed design is deposited with the Building Control Section prior to any work commencing on site. A Building Control Surveyor will then check the plans and specification to determine whether the proposal complies with the requirements of the Building Regulations.

 

If the proposal is satisfactory, then an approval will be issued. The approved sets of plans, specifications and any structural calculations will then be stamped approved and a copy sent back to either the applicant or agent. These drawings should then be issued to the building contractors, so that they have the approved design and specification to work to.

 

If the proposal is not satisfactory, then the we will usually write to either the applicant or agent with a schedule of amendments that are required to be made to the design in order to achieve approval. Any revised plans must then be returned to us on or before the deadline given, in order to allow the Building Control Surveyor to reassess the plans.

 

It is usually at this stage that the determination of the application will take place. This will be to either:

 

• Approval,
• Approval subject to conditions, or
• Rejection

 

 

Approval

If the decision is a full approval, then it is possible to commence work on site almost immediately, although it will be necessary to give us at least two days notice that work is going to start.

 

During the construction period we will undertake inspections of the work.

 

 

Approval subject to conditions

If the decision is an approval subject to conditions, then those conditions should be discharged prior to the work taking place on site. To do this will usually involve depositing further revised drawings of the proposal that provide a satisfactory solution to the reason for the condition.

 

Once the outstanding conditions have been discharged, or sometimes before agreed with us, then it is possible to commence work on site almost immediately, although it will be necessary to give us at least two days notice that work is going to start.

During the construction period we will undertake inspections of the work.

 

 

Rejection

If the decision is to reject the application, then the applicant has several choices:-

 

1. Make a further application for the same proposal, but with a revised proposal that addresses the reasons for rejection of the previous application. In this case a new application form and the required number of plans should be deposited. Providing that the application is for substantially the same work as the rejected application and is made within three years of the date of deposit of the rejected application, a further plan charge is not required.
2. Build the works described in the application. We must be given the required notices for the various stages of work and the works themselves must comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations. It should be noted that this does not offer the same protection from prosecution for failure to comply with the Building Regulations as an approval would provide. During the construction period we will undertake inspections of the work. 
3. Apply to the Secretary of State at the Department of Communites and Local Government for a determination of any matters of disagreement.