Speak to anyone in the building trade and it won’t be long before you hear that the UK has some of the tightest regulations imaginable to control what happens in the construction industry. Though it’s by no means the only legislation affecting businesses and homeowners, the UK Building Regulations (2010) is likely to have a lot to say about the approval(s) you may need for what some consider to be common jobs.
Scope of Approvals
If you ever need to replace doors, windows, add a radiator, re-cover a flat roof, change the electrics and much more besides, you may find you have to seek (at least) building regulations approval before you can complete. Failing to seek ‘building regs’ approval could be costly lesson in renovations. Tradesmen can receive heavy fines, while owners may subsequently be expected to pay the cost of rectifying any faulty work. What is more, non-compliance may cost you if or when you try to sell a home or premises without the certification covering work governed by the regulations.
Why are Building Regulations Necessary
Those employed in trades associated with building and construction know that such jobs can be dangerous. The machinery and equipment used, working at height, noise, and vibration, handling heavy materials and chemicals are just some of the danger construction workers will face. Also, given that owners, company staff and the public are never far from any construction site, they too are often put at risk.
Yet, according to Eurostat data for 2018, UK construction ‘consistently has one of the lowest rates of fatal injury across Europe.’ The figures (0.55 per 100,000 employees) are on par with Germany, and lower than countries like France, Italy, and Spain.
It’s fair to say that strict UK building regulations must take considerable credit for maintaining such a healthy safety record across the UK.
Demolition Work – A Case Study
While a building company employs skilled tradesmen to construct a building, a demolition company will employ a team of specialists to dismantle it. But before any work starts, the Building Act (1984) first requires an approval, generally referred to as a Section 80 Demolition Notice, to be issued by the relevant local authority.
In certain cases, a fistful of statutory approvals may be required for the demolition of a building. These could include permissions falling under the following:
– Town and County Planning Act 1990
– Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
– Health and Safety at Work, Act 1974
– Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992
– Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994.
The Local Authority Counter Notice
All local authorities have wide-ranging responsibilities to ensure demolition companies operates as the law requires when carrying out any demolition task. For that reason, the Building Act (1984) empowers them to issue what is known as a Section 81 Counter Notice requesting certain work to be undertaken as a pre-condition for demolition approval.
In fact, any request for demolition approval quite commonly triggers a counter-notice response, in effect, a kind of ‘qualified approval’. Such counter notice stipulations could include work involving:
– shoring up and weatherproofing adjoining buildings;
– repairing any damage to adjacent properties on completion;
– site clearance and rubbish removal;
– disconnecting utilities and sealing drains;
– site set ups specifically designed to protect the public and preserve public amenities.
If you request a demolition quote from a professional firm of experienced demolition specialists, you can expect them to advise you on all the permissions required, in most instances they will act on your behalf to complete the required paperwork.
We are here to help
When you are next researching for a quality and competitive demolition company for whatever construction project, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team, we offer a free quote and site survey.
Call us today on 01322920 053 to get a quote for your next demolition project.