England Party Wall etc. Act 1996
Circular letter on Building Regulations, Energy Performance of Buildings and Party Wall Act amendments
Library captured 10 September 2026 · Source updated 22 March 2016
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To:
The Chief Executive Unitary, Metropolitan, District and
London Borough Councils in England County and County Borough
Councils in Wales 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 County and County Borough Councils in Wales City of London Council of the Isles of Scilly
Approved Inspectors
cc:The Chief Executive: 15 March 2016 County Councils in England National Park Authorities in England & Wales
The Chief Fire Officer: Fire and Rescue Authorities in England & Wales
Dear Sir/Madam
Building Regulations & (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I.2016/285)
Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/284)
Party Wall etc. Act (Electronic Communications) Order 2016 S.I. 2016/335)
Department for Communities and Local Government Email; enquiries.br @communities.gsi.gov.uk 3 NW Fry Building
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I am writing to inform you of amendments to the Building Regulations 2010, the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2010, the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, Approved Documents L1A, L1B, L2A and L2B and the Party Wall etc. Act made by the above instruments, all of which come into force on 6 April 2016.
Scope
The amendments to the Building Regulations 2010 and the Approved Documents apply in relation to building work carried out in England and also to building work on excepted energy buildings in Wales.
The amendments to the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 apply in England and Wales
Publications
The Department has published Circular 03/2016 to announce the changes to the Building Regulations and the Approved Documents. The Annex to this Circular contains the formal notice of approval for the amended Approved Documents. The Circular is available at::https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/building-regulations-circulars
The Department has also published Circular 02/2016 to announce the changes to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The Circular is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/building-regulations-circulars
Changes to the Building Regulations 2010
Most of the changes made to the Building Regulations 2010 by the Building Regulations & (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/285) are minor changes to the wording to make it clearer that the target CO 2 emission rates, the calculated CO 2 emission rates, the target fabric energy efficiency rates and the calculated fabric energy efficiency rates must be calculated and expressed using the approved methodology at regulation 24. This is unlikely to require any change to what happens now in calculating these rates and there should be no impact on building control bodies.
The one significant change is that the requirements to produce an energy performance certificate on construction (regulations 29 to 33) have been moved from the Building Regulations to the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations so that all requirements on energy performance certificates are now in one place. The requirement that building control bodies must be given notice of the issue of an energy performance certificate and its reference number before giving a completion certificate or final certificate remains but are now contained in regulation 7A of the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.
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A number of consequent amendments have been made as a result of this change. This change should have no impact on building control bodies.
Approved Documents L1A, L1B, L2A and L2B
The changes to the wording of some of the regulations mean that there are changes to the wording of these regulations which are reproduced in the Approved Documents. There have also been amendments to some of the cross-references. The guidance on how to comply with the requirements has not been changed.
Party Wall etc. Act 1996
Although building control bodies have no formal role in Party Wall Act procedures they are frequently inform building owners of the Act’s procedures or are asked for advice. The only change made to the Act is to allow the electronic transmission of notices and other documents where both the giver and receiver of the notices and documents agree. The Department’s guidance on the Act will be amended to reflect this change and will be available by 6 April at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance .
Enquiries
Telephone enquiries on this Circular Letter should be addressed to Ian Drummond on 0303 444 1791.
All e-mail enquiries to: enquiries.br@communities.gsi.gov.uk.
Yours faithfully
R J LEDSOME
Deputy Director
Building Regulations and Energy Performance Division