Building Regs effective date

[cheggers85]

I'm due to complete on a new home which has only just been built (in the last 6 months) The loft insulation is 225mm thick in total, though current regulations state that it should be 270mm.

The site manager says this is because the regulations used in the spec were from when the property was approved by planning many years ago.

I've found out that in 2003, the regulations were changed that insulation should be 270mm thick.

Is it true that regulations which were in place over 10 years can be used on current builds if that was when planning was passed ?

 

[Chukka63]

yes thats true.we built some bungalows 20 years after planning was passed but we chose to build to todays spec as it made financial sense.
if youre worried about the depth of insulation just add a little your self or just live happily in your new home and dont worry about it.

 

[cheggers85]

OK, Thanks for your prompt answer - I would have expected it to have expired after a certain time whereby newer regs would be needed, but if that's the case then so be-it! - we're only talking 20mm difference so not too bad - just wanted to check things were being done correctly. The planning was actually passed in 1997, so it could have been 25mm less !

Cheers!

 

[mointainwalker]

From an insulation point of view, don't be concerned about it. The law of diminishing returns comes into play and the first 45 mm saves several times more fuel than the last 45 mm.

Personally I feel that beyond 200 mm is unnecessary, but then that's why we have Brussels, isn't it 0 to impose the unnecessary and impractical.

 

[Chukka63]

Planning permissions expire after 5 years if you dont start within that time period but Building regs dont.

 

[cheggers85]

Thanks mountainwalker - You're a mindreader ... I was wondering how much is optimal before much more makes little difference (esp. in comparison to losing heat elsewhere).

Here's a link I found - may be useful to anyone coming across this, it shows the dates for the loft insulation regs. http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk/how-much-insulation-do-i-need.htm

 

[cheggers85]

Planning permissions expire after 5 years if you dont start within that time period but Building regs dont.

OK, handy to know - in my case they started building the first lot of houses around 1997, it's just that it's a big estate that's not yet finished.

 

[Chukka63]

we just put in 1 set of foundations and moth balled the site.thats all that needed to keep the planning guys happy.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I worked on a block of flats that, due to the orig developer going bust, was finished except for about 8 flats on the top floor. It had planning and building regs approved in 1972. We added the top floor and the 8 flats and although we built it to modern regs we could have built it using the old '72 regs!

 

[DevilDamo]

Planning permissions expire after 5 years if you dont start within that time period but Building regs dont.

The majority (if not all) planning approvals come with a "development must commence within three years of the date of the approval..." and then yes, the actual planning expiry date is five years after the date of the approval.

Your last statement regarding Building Reg's is not quite correct...

If the work has not commenced within three years of the deposit of the plans, the Council may, by notice under Section 32 of the Building Act 1984, declare the plans to be of no effect.

If you still wish to proceed with this work a new application will have to be submitted. This application will have to be to the standards applicable at the time of deposit and will require a further fee.

we could have built it using the old '72 regs!

Basically... yes. But then on that occasion, you'd have to look at it from a selling point of view. Who would buy a flat, which was approved a number of years ago but completed recently and not built to current standards... within reason?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Basically... yes. But then on that occasion, you'd have to look at it from a selling point of view. Who would buy a flat, which was approved a number of years ago but completed recently and not built to current standards... within reason?

Obviously, but I was explaining the rules.

 

[mointainwalker]

With regard to DevilDamo's last post, I think that it would be a very rare purchaser who would think to either examine the spec or question the developer about things like insulation thickness.

In respect of this, can any of you tell me if a developer would ever allow you to examine/copy the spec ( would call this BOM in engineering) for the house ?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

When I was working for a practice we'd often get calls from our client (developers) asking us to send a set of the drawings to a potential purchaser. We as architects were quite happy to do so and the developers were too but then we never drew anything that wasn't pukka. I guess more dubious developers wouldn't allow this though.

 

[mointainwalker]

Thanks for the answer Freddy, but were these for dwellings or office blocks etc ?

In the latter case, since the potential purchasers would be property professionals, I'm sure they would demand in-depth detail, but the ordinary guy ... ?

 

[DevilDamo]

I think that it would be a very rare purchaser who would think to either examine the spec or question the developer about things like insulation thickness.

I agree... unless the house is sold to an architect/surveyor

But I don't just mean insulation thickness but on that note, that would have a huge impact on running costs for the house and energy efficiency. New purchasers may ask questions like... does the house not have this/that and they'd be told... well they don't need it as it wasn't the standard then.

I'm sure they would demand in-depth detail

And even then you'd have a disclaimer that, that was the specification and the detail but you can't guarantee it's what's on site. There are always little spec and detail changes and in some cases, the drawings are reflected to suit whereas other times, they're dealt with on site.