Building Regs Regularisation for a trench

[JamesGoose1]

Hi I built a garage last year and have just got the building regs certificate for it.

We dug the foundation trenches and I phoned the council to notify them and ask them to check the trenches. They went a bit mad and said I had to do a regularisation application which I did , seemed very expensive. I was assuming the regulation bit was just for the trenches and the rest of the building would be a normal build. The certificate says it's a Regularisation for the whole building which I don't think is fair as they inspected every part as the garage was being built like a normal building. It's not like the trenches were hiding anything anyway. Is there any way I can get this certificate changed ? I did call they council about 3 months before building the garage and they just said to notify them when I started building , which I though I was doing.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I don't follow, what's the problem?

 

[JamesGoose1]

Is it not better to have a proper building regs certificate rather than a regularised one when it comes to sell the house for example.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Possibly but if they opened the application as a Regularisation I can't see how they can change the certificate. But then I don't understand why it was a regularisation anyway.

 

[JamesGoose1]

Neither do I.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well why didn't you ask them?

 

[tony1851]

Presumably it's a regularization because the OP didn't inform them before digging the trench? (ie contravening Building Act etc).
So the council jumps on it as a legal (but very unfair) method of squeezing extra money out of the OP.

 

[^woody^]

You put in a b/regs application for the garage?
You got a certificate for the garage?
You then applied for a regularisation for the foundations?
You got a certificate for the foundations and the garage?

And it's not even whiskey o'clock yet.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Presumably you've paid the money? (think it is double the cost of a building notice). You've got a certificate stating that the thing is constructed to the required standards at the time of construction- that'll do for any solicitors enquiries if/when you come to sell the place. Move on.

Next time you do it, put in a building notice at least 48 hours before you start work (i have the luxury of spare time to wander up to their office with a cheque and some fag packets with scribbles on)- then you'll get the benefit of cheaper and a normal certificate and helpful hints and tips and workrounds

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Next time you do it, put in a building notice at least 48 hours before you start work (i have the luxury of spare time to wander up to their office

Spare time? You can just do it online or over the phone, this is a moot point.

 

[John D v2.0]

Sounds like you got someone on their first day, first inspection is the trenches so they'd have to be really special to call that regularisation.

 

[BCOtotherescue]

Works start prior to deposit of application. LA ask for regularisation which is correct....but very harsh. If it were me, as a BCO, I would of taken a building notice form on site, ask to complete, record inspection - job done. But I was one of the more sensible BCO’s imo. Makes no difference to a house sale etc.