Application Procedure

• Full Plans application
• Building Notice application
• Replacement windows & doors
• Regularisation Application

Full Plans application

The full plans submission, is where detailed plans and specification notes are deposited for assessment, preferably well in advance of when work is to start on site, and, once we are satisfied with the proposals, we grant conditional or unconditional approval.

For Domestic applications two sets of plans and details are necessary and for designated use/commercial applications three sets of plans and details are necessary for the purpose of Fire Consultation.

Your submitted plans will be thoroughly checked by one of our Building Control Officers to ensure the work shown complies with the Building Regulations. If they do, your application will be issued with an Approval Notice. However, if they do not, you will be asked to amend your plans or submit revised plans in order that an Approval Notice can then be issued. If you choose either not to amend your plans or submit revised plans, unfortunately your application will be issued with a Rejection Notice.

A Building Control Officer as the work proceeds will carry out site Inspections, and with the Full Plans approach you have the assurance that, if the work is carried out in accordance with the Approved Plans, the regulations will be satisfied.

Time Scale: from deposit of application 5 weeks or request for extension of time to 8 weeks.

Fees

A "Full Plans" application, generally, involves a two stage payment - one when you submit your plans (Plan Charge) and one following the first inspection on site (Inspection Charge).

Go to forms & fees or should you require any further assistance then please contact us.

Building Notice application

The Building Notice procedure, which initially does not require any detailed plans, only a location/block plan to a scale of not less than 1:1250.

Building Notice applications are only suitable for domestic works, and only get accepted, and not approved. If additional information is felt to be necessary throughout the project, we can request it at any time. i.e. structural calculations. Once you have given your building notice” you can start work and it can be inspected within 48 hours of the application being registered. (Please note if you have obtained planning permission then a copy of the approved plans will be required).

Fees

The Charge payable on submission of a "Building Notice" is the same as the total charge payable on a "Full Plans" application, and is payable at deposit of the Building Notice.

Go to forms & fees or should you require any further assistance then please contact us.

Replacement Windows and Doors Scheme

Since the 1 April 2002, replacement windows have been subject to some form of control. This does not include replacing broken pains of glass or repairing sections of the frame, it is the complete replacement of the frame and glazing.

If you are considering having your windows, and glazed doors, replaced you need to determine whether the company you are using is a FENSA registered contractor. FENSA is short for Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme and allows registered contractors to assess their own work. A notice is registered with the Local Authority, as part of the scheme, and no site inspections will be undertaken.

If you are considering using a contractor who is not registered under the FENSA scheme an application form  (61.60 KB) and a standard fee of £117.50 will be required and then the work will be inspected. Should you have any further queries then please contact us.

Advice leaflet on Replacement windows can be downloaded here.

Regularisation

Scope

This procedure can enable retrospective Building Regulation approval to be gained for any building work undertaken without approval on or after 11th November 1985.

Making an Application

An application is made by the submission of an application form  (44.44 KB) relevant fee and, in most cases, a plan indicating both the unauthorised work and the additional building work required to secure compliance with relevant Building Regulations.

Plans/details will generally be required in the following circumstances, although this list should not be considered exhaustive:

• Loft conversions
• Extensions
• Garages
• Underpinning
• Structural work
• Mezzanine Floors
• When consultation with the Fire Brigade is considered prudent
• When work has been built directly over or within 3m of a sewer in the ownership of Severn Trent Water Ltd

Inspections

Inspections are carried out by the Council to determine compliance with the Building Regulations that were in operation at the time of construction.

Inspections will only be undertaken once an application has been deposited.

Opening up of work

In most cases, you may be required to open up certain areas of construction in order to enable inspection of the unauthorised work.

Notification

Any contraventions and/or work required to gain compliance with relevant regulations will be identified and advised to you in writing.

It is your responsibility to carry out any additional work identified, if a Regularisation Certificate is required.

Regularisation Certificate

A Regularisation Certificate can only be issued when the Council is reasonably satisfied that all the unauthorised work complies with the relevant requirements.

Fees

Details of the fees payable for this procedure can be found on the Fee Information Sheet.

If a Regularisation Certificate cannot be issued, eg if you choose not to carry out work identified as essential to satisfy relevant requirements, any fees paid cannot be refunded.

Please Note

Once a Regularisation Application has been submitted, any fees paid cannot be refunded if you then choose not to follow the procedure.

Legal Action

Work carried out without Building Regulation approval can be subject to legal action by the Council.

This Regularisation Procedure does not preclude the instigation of legal action by the Council under Section 36 of The Building Act 1984, which may, in turn, lead to a requirement to rectify serious contraventions.

Generally, the Council will only pursue legal action when identified contraventions represent serious safety deficiencies and you choose not to carry out remedial work to rectify them.

Advice leaflet on the Regularisation procedure can be downloaded here.

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