What can I do myself in Scotland?

[ericmark]

In Wales like Scotland we have slightly different rules, as to the legality of the rules this is very open as not published in Welsh, so I feel to tell people what they can or can't do is so open to the way you interpret what is written the best way is to simply direct to government web sites and let them work it out. I am not a Welsh speaker on more to the point reader so for me to say I did not do something because it was not in Welsh would be daft. It is too easy to make mistakes when translating as this points out.

As far as I am aware the Welsh building regulations still point to BS7671:2001 as the book to use to find what is allowed. It has never been updated.

We all know there are laws which have never been removed from the statue books which no longer make sense. We have to use common sense and decide what is reasonable. With rented property we know people seem to want to blame the land lord where with private property no one seems to worry as long as you don't kill anyone.

As to gas I am sure if the gas cooker was invented today it would be banned as too dangerous, same with unmanned level crossings and many other things, we only have them because of grandfather rights. As to smoking if started today it would be a class something drug.

So if worried about the legal status either your selling the house or renting the house and easy way out is to get tradesmen to do the work. Otherwise all your worried about is a safe house, I have not heard of a single fine for doing compliant to BS7671 work on your own house. Saying your a scheme member when your not yes, and poor workmanship yes, but not seen a single fine for good workmanship but not the correct paperwork on owner occupied property.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As to smoking if started today it would be a class something drug.

I once read that if sodium chloride was unknown, and then synthesised and the substance found to have food preserving and flavour enhancing properties, it would never be allowed as an additive as it would be far too dangerous.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ah, but today you can get low sodium sodium chloride.

 

[PBC_1966]

In Wales like Scotland we have slightly different rules, as to the legality of the rules this is very open as not published in Welsh,

Aren't both Welsh and English official languages in Wales?

As far as I am aware the Welsh building regulations still point to BS7671:2001 as the book to use to find what is allowed. It has never been updated.

For what is allowed, or just for the definition of a special location?

 

[JohnD]

Sadly, English is not an official language in England.

 

[EFLImpudence]

It doesn't have to be.

 

[ericmark]

In Wales like Scotland we have slightly different rules, as to the legality of the rules this is very open as not published in Welsh,

Aren't both Welsh and English official languages in Wales?

As far as I am aware the Welsh building regulations still point to BS7671:2001 as the book to use to find what is allowed. It has never been updated.

For what is allowed, or just for the definition of a special location?

All government notices have to be bi-lingual in Wales which is really pointless as very few Welsh readers can't read English as well, but that's the rule. As to building regulations in 2004 when they started we had not got the Welsh Parliament Machynlleth was still the Capital of Wales although there was a seat of government in Abergele it was an English Parliament not Welsh. But then they build a new building in Cardiff where the govern Wales from so Cardiff became the Capital. Now more and more laws and regulations are done locally in Wales although where I live in North Wales I can get to London quicker and easier than Cardiff and building control was one of the items passed over to Cardiff. So when the English parliament reduced what needed registering under Part P that did not extend to Wales so we still have to notify work in a kitchen. The laws are a bit daft as a kitchen is described as a food preparation area so must have work tops which can be cleaned to the required standard. I think of some of the places I have lived and often I had no kitchen and when I did it was so small you only cooked in the kitchen you prepared the food in the dinning room and the latter was only defined by different floor covering.

So kitchen requires notification but the utility room which also has a sink, worktop, washing machine, tumble drier with wet cloths around does not that has to be crazy. The rules are so open to interpretation it needs a court case to clarify, and for a county council to take the owner occupier to court for working on his own house would be considered as a waste of public money unless some one was injured, well really killed, as a result of the bad workmanship, and if that is the case you don't need Part P to prosecute anyway, likely it would not be council but HSE or Police.

So in real terms as long as BS7671 is complied with on an owner occupier house it is extremely unlikely any owner will ever be fined for not notifying the council.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Which is all just spurious guff. The OP (originally) asked about Scotland.