Section A - building regulations
'Building regulations' is the collective term for a set of national standards for building projects. They cover new buildings, an adaptation or extension to an existing building and the health and safety of the people that are working on the site and the people that will be using the building. The standards required are set out in Approved Documents and are updated by government regularly. Building regulations ensure that regardless of the installed services, fittings and fixtures, the fabric of the building is not compromised.
Building regulations and planning policies intersect in several policy areas as they relate to climate resilience including:
- (part G) - sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency
- (part H) - drainage and waste disposal
- (part J) - combustion appliances and fuel storage systems
- (part L) - conservation of fuel and power
Planning and building regulations are different statutory regimes with different minimum standards. Generally planning permission is sought prior to building regulations approval but it is always important to liaise with the council’s Building Control team as early as possible. Where planning permission is not required it is very likely that building regulations approval will be.
More information on Westminster building regulations and the Building Control team
For more detailed information within this guidance, see Section B:
- energy - including passive solar design, managing heat risk, carbon emission factors
- environmental assessment methodologies - including BREEAM and others
- whole life carbon
- building management systems
- home energy efficiency
- low and zero carbon technologies, combined heat and power
- water efficiency