The Building Regulation activities undertaken by Ashford Building Control include:

• Examination of submitted plans, calculations and other relevant information.
• The inspection of building work while in progress for which either Full Plans have been deposited, or a Building Notice or Regularisation Notice has been given.

The legal requirements are set out in Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations. These requirements are detailed within the Approved Documents, listed below (available from the Stationary Office):

• Part A: Structure
• Part B: Fire Safety Part 1 - Dwellinghouses 
• Part B: Fire Safety Part 2  - Buildings other than Dwellinghouses
• Part C: Site Preparation and Resistance to Moisture
• Part D: Toxic Substances
• Part E: Resistance to the passage of sound
• Part F: Ventilation and Amendment to 2006 Edition
• Part G: Hygiene
• Part H: Drainage and Waste Disposal
• Part J: Approved document J - Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems
• Part K: Protection from Falling, Collision and Impact
• Part L1 - Conservation of fuel and power in dwellings
• Part L2 - Conservation of fuel & power in buildings other than dwellings
• Part M: Access and Facilities for Disabled People
• Part N: Glazing - safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning
• Part P: Electrical Safety
• Regulation 7 - Materials and workmanship

Visit the Planning Portal website for a full list of the Building Regulations.

On December 18 2006, Communities and Local Government announced revisions to Part B (Fire safety) of the Building Regulations and the guidance in Approved Document B.

The changes come into force on April 6 2007 and will affect future building work in England and Wales, such as the erection, extension or material alteration of a building, and how fire safety is designed into a building. They also include amendments to the guidance on domestic loft conversions, the use of door-closing devices in dwellings and the provision of sprinklers in tall blocks of flats.

For non-domestic buildings, the key changes include the introduction of a maximum unsprinklered compartment size for single storey warehouses, new guidance on residential care homes (including on the use of sprinklers) and a new requirement to ensure occupiers are made aware of their building's fire protection measures so as to assist with the preparation of fire risk assessments under the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order regime. 

A number of changes are specifically designed to make the guidance more accessible and easier to use (such as splitting the guidance into Approved Document B – Volume 1: Dwellinghouses and Approved Document B – Volume 2: Buildings other than Dwellinghouses), to provide further clarity and guidance, to introduce further design freedoms and flexibilities and/or to provide better regulation.

Applications for any new building work that are made to Building Control Bodies on or after April 6 2007 should follow the guidance contained in the new Approved Document B (Volumes 1 and 2).  Any applications that are received before the April 6 2007 should follow the guidance contained in the Approved Document B 2000 edition.

More information can be found on the Communities and Local Government Building Regulations website.  

The Planning Portal provides a useful householder visual guidance on whether you may need Building Regulations.