Regularisation Applications

If an alteration or extension has been carried out without first seeking Building Regulation approval, a regularisation application may be submitted to "Regularise" the work carried out.

This means that you can apply to the Council's Building Control Department to obtain retrospective approval for the completed work; however, this is only possible for work carried out after 11th November 1985

Please Note: An owner is under no obligation to submit a Regularisation Application and the council are under no obligation to accept the application

To make an application, you must complete an application form and provide a description of the work carried out. After submitting the application, you must contact the council's Building Control Department to arrange a time for us to visit the site and inspect the completed work

Following this inspection, we will inform you of any changes that may need to be done to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations. You may then decide if you wish to proceed with the application and carry out any remedial work that may be deemed necessary or if you wish to return it to it's original state. Further information may also be required to verify compliance and may include copies of structural calculations, site investigation reports etc. Once the work has been regularised in accordance with the Building Regulations, a Regularisation certificate will be sent to you - You will not be issued with a Completion certificate

Important Information:

The work must have been commenced some time after 11th November 1985
The work must comply with the Building Regulations in force at the time of commencement
The regularisation fee is calculated at the current net fee (excluding VAT) for a Building Notice application, plus a 20% surcharge, however VAT is not payable
There is no provision for appeal on a regularisation application
The regularisation fee is non refundable once we have carried out an inspection of work
We will only issue a regularisation certificate once the work complies with the regulations
You may decide at any time to terminate the application procedure, even if we have inspected the work and identified contraventions. With this in mind, you may be subject to enforcement or prosecution (see below)
If the unauthorised work was carried out more than two years ago; under the Building Regulations, the council will not prosecute you for contravening those regulations, or enforce compliance, however a solicitor will still request a Building Regulation certificate during the sale of a property
If the unauthorised work was carried out within the last two years, the council can apply to a magistrates court to enforce the Building Regulations, and have the contravening work removed or altered to achieve compliance
If the unauthorised work was carried out within the last 6 months, the council can apply to a magistrates court to obtain a prosecution for contravening the Building Regulations

If you require any further information, please contact the Building Control department using the details at the side of this page, alternatively if you wish to make a Regularisation application, please use the link below