Building Control - New Regulations For April 2002

The amended Building Regulations 2001, together with four new Approved Documents to Parts H, J, L1 and L2, were published in October 2001 by the UK Government.

These new provisions came into effect on 1 April 2002, for properties then under construction at that date, there are some transitional provisions. The main effect of these amended regulations are changes to:

• Drainage and waste disposal (Part H);
• Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems (Part J);
• Conservation of fuel and power (Parts L1 & L2).

There are other changes, including to the definitions of "controlled service or fitting" and "building work".

One result of this is that the replacement of boilers, hot storage vessels and other building services, and provision of complete replacement windows, will be "building work" and subject to the energy efficiency and thermal insulation requirements in the revised Part L.

With limited exceptions, all "building work" now requires approval of the local authority.

PART H (DRAINAGE AND WASTE DISPOSAL)

Some of the key changes are:

• An expressed requirement for the provision of suitable foul and rainwater drainage is now an express requirement.
• Sewers serving more than 10 properties must have a minimum diameter of 150 mm.
• There are new requirements and guidance for non-mains arrangements for foul water disposal, including a prioritisation of the available options.
• There are new requirements and guidance on more sustainable forms of rainwater drainage.
• Additional guidance is given on protection of drains and sewers from rats.
• There are new requirements and guidance about building over sewers.

PART J (COMBUSTION APPLIANCES AND FUEL STORAGE SYSTEMS)

Some of the changes are:

• The requirements now include measures to prevent injury from burns.
• There is a new requirement for hearths, fireplaces, flues and chimneys to have durable labeling with safety information.
• There is new guidance on checking by competent builders of new flues, and flues brought back into service, and there are recommendations that certificates should be provided by competent builders and installers stating that flues and combustion installations comply.
• There are new safety rules for the position of low level gas and oil flue outlets to restrict discharge close to boundaries.
• There is now guidance on installing fixed flueless gas fires, including the need to provide permanent ventilation.
• There are new requirements and guidance on the protection of oil and LPG fuel tanks from fire, and on precautions against pollution of water by oil from domestic fuel tanks.

PART L (CONSERVATION OF FUEL AND POWER)

In the new Part L, L1 deals with dwellings and L2 with other buildings. There are now separate approved documents for L1 and L2. The changes for dwellings include:

The changes for buildings other than dwellings include:

• Requirements applying to the overall system performance of heating and hot water systems.
• Systems must be inspected and commissioned by installers to check that adequate performance has been achieved. It is recommended that certificates should be provided by installers that commissioning has been successfully carried out.
• There are higher standards for the insulation performance (U values) of walls, floors, roofs, windows and doors.
• There are changes to the elemental and target U value methods for showing compliance and the introduction of a "carbon index method" to replace the energy rating method but under separate existing provisions of the regulations, energy ratings (SAP ratings - Standard Assessment Procedure) must still be calculated and notices giving the ratings must be posted up in new dwellings.
• Changes to guidance on thermal bridging and airtightness, backed by guidance on robust construction details which is to be published separately in November 2002.
• New requirement for energy efficient lighting with a new dwelling or new extension.
• New requirement for information to be provided to homeowners on how heating and hot water systems can be operated in an energy-efficient manner.

The changes for buildings other than dwellings include:

• Changes to the elemental method for showing compliance and new whole building and carbon emissions calculation methods.
• There are recommendations that builders should obtain certificates of compliance as regards airtightness and insulation continuity.
• Higher standards for the insulation performance (U-values) of walls, floors, roofs windows and doors.
• Requirements addressing the summer performance of buildings i.e. solar overheating and heat gains through the fabric.
• Requirements applying to the overall system performance of heating and hot water systems.
• Requirements applying to air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation.
• Changes to the requirements on lighting.
• Building services systems must be inspected and commissioned by installers, and it is recommended that certificates should be provided by installers that commissioning has been successfully carried out.
• New requirements for information to be provided on the maintenance and operation of buildings and services.

Transitional provisions:

The amended regulations above came into effect on 1 April 2002. However the unamended regulations continuet to apply for building work which was started before 1 April 2002. The unamended regulations also continued to apply to work started on or after 1 April 2002, if plans of the work were fully passed by a local authority before that date.

Where work involves the construction of more than one new building, such as an estate of houses, relevant work must have started on a particular building before 1 April 2002 in order for that building to have been exempt from the changes in the requirements.