Working in partnership

Regularisations

Download a Regularisation Application Form PDF  External Hyperlink

If building works such as alterations or extensions have been undertaken without Building Regulation approval, it may cause difficulties when you are trying to sell your property.

This is because you cannot supply the purchaser with the appropriate approval notice and/or completion certificate, which raises questions about the building construction and structural integrity of the work, since there has not been impartial and independent inspection of the works. There may be serious faults with the way the building works have been planned and constructed.

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You can however apply for a Regularisation Certificate for any works undertaken illegally after 11th November 1985, but you need to be aware that you may be asked to expose, lay open, certain sections of the work, or submit plans and calculations to show compliance with the Building Regulations.

If the work was carried out before this date then a structural engineer or chartered surveyor should be employed to discover if the unauthorised work is structurally sound, and provide a report on the suitability of the construction.

The Regularisation procedure


Once the Building Control Partnership has been alerted of any unauthorised work, a building control Surveyor will normally visit the property to see if it complies with the current regulations.


An informal notice of the unauthorised works will be entered on the land charges register, and you will be invited to submit a Regularisation application form together with the appropriate plans and charge.


You may be asked to expose parts of the building work or undertake additional work to make the building comply with the regulations.


The surveyor will make a final inspection of the work, and, if the work complies, a Regularisation certificate will be issued.


The notice on the land charges register will be removed.


The Building Control Charges leaflet provides details of the payment required for a Regularisation application. This service carries a 20% penalty above the standard net building notice charge.


Please note that, in addition to the Regularisation process, there is a wide range of formal enforcement actions available to the Building Control Partnership, please see Failing to comply with Building Regulations.


However, formal enforcement action is normally our last course of action and will depend on the nature and type of unauthorised work. We will always try to work with you to ensure that buildings meet the Building Regulations and are fit places in which to live, work or visit.





 

Fareham Borough Council Gosport Borough Council Portsmouth City Council
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