Future of Building Control

On 1 September 2009, the Communities and Local Government published the Future of Building Control: Implementation Plan and Milestone Map.

This Plan sets out key commitments, developed with stakeholders, to improve the building control system and compliance with the Building Regulations, and is the result of a Review of Building Control undertaken in 2007/08.  The Plan includes a new approach to inspections which will enable building control bodies to better target their inspections on more challenging or riskier projects.

It aims to help compliance by providing clearer guidance, including a series of industry-developed project guides covering the range of Building Regulations requirements relating to particular types of work. The first of these - on loft conversions - is due to be published in October.

The Plan also includes the first outline of the Periodic Review of Building Regulations. This will limit changes to the Regulations to every 3 years (2010, 2013, etc) and will help the construction industry to prepare for change and make it easier for designers, builders and owners to comply.