Advice on building control

The Planning Portal website explains the difference between a Building Notice, Full Plans and Regularisation application.

Advice when attending a pre-application meeting

• Architectural drawings are protected under Copyright Law. You are therefore advised to come to pre-application meetings equipped to take notes, make sketches and/or tracings
• The Local Studies and Archive Centre keeps some files that may be useful. These include drainage files, from before the water industry was privatised, and some old GLC (Greater London Council) files.
• If you are not the freeholder please get and attach a statement from them. This should give permission for you to view any files retrieved in an archive search request. The form may be used for that purpose by getting the freeholder’s signature in the space provided.

When can building work start?

Work can start 2 days after submitting an application for minor residential jobs. There is space for showing the start date on the Building Regulation form. If you don't know the start date when you apply, you must confirm this in writing before you start.

Please let us know if building work stops for any reason and when it restarts.

Site inspections

We will inspect buildings at various stages of construction to ensure the technical requirements of the building regulations are met. We will discuss any regulations not being complied with. 

We have to inspect foundations, drains and resistance against moisture provisions by law.

Normally, site visits can be arranged for the next day following a request. They are generally carried out between 11am-3pm.

Completion certificate

A completion certificate will be provided when the work is finished. This is provided that:

• all the appropriate certificates have been received
• all Building Regulation charges have been paid

Even if your plans are passed, or your proposals are exempt from Building Regulations, you may still need planning permission.

Further advice on Planning Permission can be found on our Planning pages.

For certain building works, you may have health and safety responsibilities and duties. This is  under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). The regulations help ensure that a construction project is safe to build, safe to use and safe to maintain.

Further information can be found on the Health and Safety Executive website

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 responsibilities

You must deposit plans for any building work at premises controlled under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Designated uses include office, shop, factory or hotel.

Once you have deposited plans, we will consult the fire authority. However, if you intend to alter a building, you must also liaise directly with the fire authority. Two copies of the plan must be submitted with the building regulation application form and the appropriate plan charge.

A decision will be made within 5 weeks, however, more complex proposals may take up to 2 months.

If your plans are rejected, this does not prevent you from starting work on the site. If you need the plans to be passed you will need to re deposit them. This might be for example to secure funds from a bank. No plan charge is payable for plans redeposited for mostly the same work.