No, if the repairs are of a minor nature. This includes replacing tiles to a roof, repointing and replacing a small area of brickwork.

If the repairs are substantial an application may need to be made, please contact building control for advice.

Click here to contact your local authority Building Control service

Yes, in cases where you are removing or altering a structural element or altering the escape route from the house. There may also be other instances where approval will be required, such as the renovation of a thermal element. If in doubt ask.

Click here to contact your local authority Building Control service

Once you have given a Building Notice or submitted a full plans application you can start work after giving the Council 48 hours notice. However, if you commence work before receiving an approval on a full plans application, you will not benefit from the protection provided by a formal approval.

Once the plans have been approved, or the Building Notice accepted, the permission lasts three years from the date of submission.

What happens if I do work which does not meet Building Regulations Standards?

If work contravenes the requirements of the Building Regulations the Building Control Surveyor will advise you what is wrong and how the work can be altered. In most cases this brings about a satisfactory resolution of the matter. In the event that the matter is not resolved in this way the local authority may serve a notice requiring the work to be altered or removed. If you fail to comply with the notice the local authority can carry out the work and charge you reasonable costs for doing so. If you fail to comply with the Building Regulations the local authority may also instigate legal proceedings through the Magistrates Courts who can impose fines of up to £5,000 for each contravention.

Yes. We have 2 main types of application. Full Plans and Building Notice. Please refer to How To Make An Application for further details.

Applications can be made by the owner or an agent, if one is employed. However, due to the complexities of drawing plans to comply with Building Regulations, it may be of benefit to employ an agent to oversee a Full Plans application.

Yes, inspections are necessary at certain stages to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations. For more details please contact Building Control.

The cost of an application will vary depending on several factors, please contact Building Control for more information.

An application pack can be sent out upon request, which will have full details of what is necessary to apply for Building Regulations. Please contact your local Building Control office.

We have an obligation to issue a decision on a Full Plans application within 5 weeks, which can be extended to 8 weeks upon request.

A regularization application will need to be submitted and a Building Control Surveyor will need to visit the site to advise of any possible remedial work to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations.

Yes, local Authority Building Control is here to help you. You can discuss the scheme with the Building Control Surveyor and amend an application in order that it complies with Building Regulations.

• Determination
  If the Local authority says your plans for the proposed building work do not comply with one or more of the requirements but you believe they do you may apply for a determination by the Secretary of State provided you have used a full plans application and have not started work on site, a fee is payable to the Secretary of State for a determination.
• Appeal
  If you believe one or more of the regulations is/are too onerous or inappropriate in your particular circumstances but the local authority has refused your application you can appeal to the secretary of state. You must lodge your appeal within 1 month of receiving notification of the local authorities refusal. Unlike a determination an appeal may apply / relate to either plans of proposed building work or work already under construction and can be used for a full plans or building notice. No fee is payable.

Planning approval is concerned with issues such as aesthetics, impact on the environment, traffic, neighbour notification etc.

Building control is concerned with issues regarding health and safety, energy conservation and access to and use of buildings.

Any structure, or element of, which may cause injury to the general public would be deemed as a dangerous structure. If in doubt please contact Building Control for advice.

Contact Building Control and inform them of the nature and location of the dangerous structure.

A member of the Building Control team will be called to the site and liaise with the relevant authorities to make safe the structure as far as is reasonably possible and monitor the situation until such time as it is resolved.

It depends on the nature and scale of the danger. You may be asked for contact details if appropriate.

Unauthorised works are any building works that have been undertaken which have not been subject to a Building Regulations application.

By contacting the Building Control office and asking if an application has been made. Please bear in mind that we are not at liberty to answer specific queries relating to other applications.

Yes. A regularisation application can be made, please contact Building Control for further information.

Yes

By putting your request in writing to your local Building Control. Please state your name, current address and contact telephone number, plus the new name you wish to call your property. If you are moving to another property, please state it’s address and current name/ number.

The council will inform Royal Mail, Council Tax and Electoral Role, you need to wait until you receive a written response from Building Control that your request has been implemented, you will then need to inform your Bank/ Building Society etc.... and contact the land registry agency to inform them ( Click here to go to the Land Registry site for further information).

No

There are no restrictions, you can call your property what you feel is appropriate. If you are requesting a name, which could be popular, i.e. The Oaks or Woodlands, it would be an advisable to provide an alternative name just in case someone else in your Parish has the same property name.

Where the demolition of a building is intended, your local authority needs to be given notice in writing before the work starts. The local authority will serve a counter notice giving details of various precautions that must be taken for the protection of the public and adjacent buildings. If the building to be demolished is a Listed Building or in a Conservation Area then it will also be necessary to obtain the requisite permission from your local authority to demolish the building.

Anglian Water hold all the records for this area and you will need to contact them direct.

If a foul or surface water sewer is within 3m of your proposed building you will need to contact Anglian water who will advise you. You will also need to contact Building Control who will need to know what you propose to do in order to ensure there is no detrimental effect to the sewer or the proposed building or building extension.

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