Building regulations and fire safety procedural guidance: circular letter 15 July 2020

Source page 1

To:

The Chief Executive

Unitary, Metropolitan, District and London Borough Councils in England

The Town Clerk, City of London

The Clerk, Council of the Isles of Scilly

The Sub-Treasurer, Inner Temple

The Under Treasurer, Middle Temple

The Head of Building Control

Unitary Metropolitan, District and London Borough Councils in England

Council of the Isles of Scilly

Approved Inspectors cc: Chief Executive, LABC

Chair: National Fire Chiefs Council

Local Government Association

Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register

The Chief Executive:

County Councils in England

National Park Authorities in England

15July 2020

Dear Colleague,

As Director of the Building Safety Programme at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) I want to draw your attention to the publication of revised Procedural Guidance on the way in which building control bodies consult with fire and rescue services on plans for building work. The guidance also covers the arrangements for the handover of fire safety information.

The guidance, published by Local Authority Building Control (LABC), with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors (ACAI) and in conjunction with the Joint Regulators Group, can now be found on the LABC website, and is also linked from the MHCLG website here:

https://www.labc.co.uk/business/resources/building-regs-fire-safety-procedural- guidance

Source page 2

Article 45 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005 (‘the Fire Safety Order’) and Regulation 12 of the Building (Approved Inspector) Regulations 2010 (as amended) set out requirements respectively for local authorities and Approved Inspectors to consult the enforcing authority under the Fire Safety Order on plans for building work.

Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) sets requirements for the handover of fire safety information by the person undertaking the work to the Responsible Person under the Fire Safety Order.

The revised guidance clarifies the procedural steps building control bodies should take to ensure effective consultation, based on the existing legislative requirements, which are unchanged.

The Department recommends that building control bodies should follow this guidance as good practice.

Enquiries on this circular letter should be addressed to: enquiries.br@communities.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Chandru Dissanayeke

Director, Building Safety Programme