Why is BC enforcement so weak?

Reading some of Tony's (and others) posts, I find it odd that no enforcement action can take place after 12 months.

Imagine if other crimes were like that. Basically, all you need do is stay under the radar for a year and bingo, illegal building work prevails!

Seems to me that the position of BC in terms of legal clout is pretty weak, yes?

Yep your about right on that one, its a case of waving a big stick but never really using it.
Enforcement action is only a very very last resort when all other threats fail and to be honest most council legal teams will do anything to avoid court action and the case will have to be water tight.
I have only ever made it to court once with a case that resulted in works being demolished, and even then it took 2 years following numerous court orders

I think the reason that Building Regulations prosecutions are relatively rare is the way that the regulations are cast, in terms of performance standards, rather than prescriptive rules and measurements etc.

Many folk tend to assume that the Approved Documents are 'the regulations' but of course they are not - they are only deemed-to-satisfy guidance, nothing more.

The actual Building Regulations themselves are quite brief.