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The Building Regulations are subject to frequent changes
and we are subject to many updates on how to implement the required
standards. In this section we will post new guidance and decisions
as we receive them. Please feel free to visit as many times as you
wish.
New Building Control
Charges
Background
The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 have
been introduced by the government and supersede the current 1998
regulations.
They came into force 1 April 2010 and had to be in place by 1
October 2010.
The aim is to ensure greater flexibility and accountability of
the charges that each local authority is now responsible for
setting within laid down administrative and accounting
requirements.
The new regulations make a number of modifications and
departures to the previous provisions, in particular the
following:
- LAs to be able to charge for carrying out their current five
building control chargeable functions and also to charge for
providing substantive pre-application advice consisting of one hour
or more.
- A new overriding accounting objective to as nearly as possible
break even and achieve full cost recovery, and produce an approved
annual financial statement of accounts.
- LAs to calculate charges by relating the average hourly rate of
building control surveyors to the time spent carrying out
their services in relation to the type of work, and taking into
account an increased number of other factors.
- LAs to fix a charge in relation to building work either by
reference to standardised charges, determined and published, or by
making an individual determination (with the agreement of the
applicant).
- LAs to make refunds of charges where they have carried out less
work than they have received payment for, and to request
supplementary charges where more work has been carried out than
they have received payment for.
- LAs to set out in their charging scheme their provision for
consideration and handling of complaints.
- An increase in the minimum and maximum level of fees for
questions relating to conformity of plans of proposed building work
with building regulations, which are referred to the Secretary of
State for his determination.
South Somerset's scheme
The scheme is arranged as four tables as follows:
- Table A - Standard charges for the creation of
or conversion to new housing including flats and apartments.
- Table B
- Standard charges for domestic extensions and building works to
a single building and,
- Standard charges for extensions and building works to an
industrial or commercial building.
- Table C - Standard charges for domestic
alterations to a single building not falling within the categories
of Table B.
- Table D - Other non-domestic work - extensions
and new build not falling within the second categories of Table B
relating to an industrial or commercial building.
You can download the charges sheet The Building Control
Charges sheet applicable from 1 April 2013.
The page of guidance notes to the charges sheet gives further
clarification on the scheme including Regularisation and
Partnership scheme applications
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