The Future Homes and Buildings Standards: Building Circular 01/2026

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MINISTRY OF HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Housing, Communities and Local Government Circular

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 24 March 2026

THE BUILDING ACT 1984

THE BUILDING REGULATIONS 2010

THE BUILDING REGULATIONS ETC. (AMENDMENT) (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2026 (S.I. 2026/335)

NEW APPROVED DOCUMENT L, VOLUMES 1 AND 2

NEW APPROVED DOCUMENT F, VOLUME 1

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INTRODUCTION

1.On behalf of the Secretary of State, I draw your attention to the publication of The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/335) (“the Amendment Regulations”), which were laid on 24 March 2026, and will come into force on 24 March 2027, except that regulations 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 will come into force for higher-risk building work and work to existing HRBs on 24 September 2027, in each case, subject to transitional provisions.

2.I also draw your attention to the publication of updated statutory guidance, Approved Document L (Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions), volumes 1 and 2, and Approved Document F (Ventilation), volume 1.

3.In accordance with section 120B(3)(b) of the Building Act 1984, the Amendment Regulations were made after consultation with the regulator (within the meaning given in section 126 of the Building Act 1984) and following a public consultation and further engagement with bodies representative of the interests concerned.

4.The Future Homes and Buildings Standards (FHBS) will ensure that new homes and non-domestic buildings are built with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency, so that buildings constructed to these standards will not require retrofitting to become zero carbon in use as the electricity grid decarbonises.

5.The purpose of this Circular is to:

•draw attention to the amendments and explain the changes they make to the Building Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations) and the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (England) Regulations 2024 (the 2024 Regulations); and

•draw attention to the publication of new Approved Documents L, volumes 1 and 2, Approved Documents F, volume 1; and

•draw attention to the transitional provisions, which apply to individual buildings (including separate arrangements for higher-risk building (HRB) work and work to an existing HRB).

6.Annex A to this Circular summarises the changes made by S.I. 2026/335. Annexes B and C give the Notice of Approval for the new Approved Documents and the Notice of Withdrawal of Approval of previous editions of the Approved Documents, subject to the transitional provisions.

7.This Circular does not give advice on the technical requirements in the Building Regulations 2010 as these are matters covered by the Approved Documents and other approved methodologies.

APPLICATION OF THE REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE

8.The Amendment Regulations extend to England and Wales but apply only to buildings and building work in England. The updated Approved Documents apply only in England.

AMENDMENT REGULATIONS

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9.The Amendment Regulations make the legislative changes needed to implement the FHBS in England.

10.In particular, the Amendment Regulations:

•create a new functional requirement for the provision of renewable electricity generation for new dwellings (and buildings containing dwellings) (requirement L3);

•amend Part L of Schedule 1 to the 2010 Regulations so that Part L reflects the dual aims of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving energy (and make consequential amendments);

•amend the definition of “fixed building services” so that it includes lifts, escalators and moving footways in new buildings otherwise than in individual dwellings;

•require that where information is provided to owners of new dwellings pursuant to regulations 39 to 40B of the 2010 Regulations (e.g. concerning ventilation, on-site systems for electricity generation, overheating or fixed building services), it is provided in an appropriate format;

•make associated changes to the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (England) Regulations 2024 (including to add a reference to Regulation 40C)

11.The Amendment Regulations and amended Approved Documents will come into force on 24 March 2027, except that regulations 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 will come into force for higher-risk building work and work to existing HRBs on 24 September 2027, subject to transitional provisions.

12.Please refer to the Regulations for defined terms used in the Regulations.

APPROVED DOCUMENTS

13.The Secretary of State has approved updated statutory guidance to support compliance with the Building Regulations in relation to:

•Part L as Approved Document L, Volume 1: Dwellings and Approved Document L, Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings; and

•Part F as Approved Document F, Volume 1: Dwellings.

•Annex B to this Circular gives the Notice of Approval for the updated Approved Documents. Annex C gives the Notice of Withdrawal of approval of the previous editions, subject to transitional provisions.

14.The Approved Documents are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/approved-documents or paper copies may be ordered from RIBA Bookshops (www.ribabookshops.com)

TRANSITIONAL PROVISION

15.The Regulations come into force on the 24 March 2027, except that regulations 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 come into force for higher-risk building (HRB) work and work to an existing HRB (as both terms are defined) on 24 September 2027.

16.For non-HRB work (or work to an existing HRB), the changes made to the 2010 and 2024 Regulations will not apply to work on a building where a building notice, an

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•initial notice, or an application for building control approval with full plans has been given to the relevant authority in respect of that building before 24 March 2027, provided that the building work to which the notice or application relates is commenced (as defined) on the relevant building before 24 March 2028.

17.The changes to the 2010 and 2024 Regulations come into force on 24 September 2027 for HRB work (including a stage of HRB work) or work to an existing HRB and separate commencement and transitional arrangements apply in these circumstances. The Regulations do not apply to HRB work or work to an existing HRB work where a valid building control approval application has been submitted to the regulator before 24 September 2027, and the application has not been rejected before, on or after that date. Where transitional protection begins because of the submission of an application for building control approval for a stage of HRB work then the protection will continue to apply to subsequent stages of HRB work, provided that the original application has not been rejected or lapsed.

18.Additional transitional arrangements provide that where some previous transitional arrangements continue to apply, the changes made by the 2010 and 2024 Regulations (as relevant) will not apply (e.g. some transitional arrangements made in relation to the Part L Uplift, in 2021 (see regulation 17(1)(b) of the Building Regulations (Building Regulations etc (Amendment) Regulations 2021) or in relation to the introduction of the HRB regime.

19.Please note that “application for building control approval with full plans”, “building notice”, “initial notice” and “relevant authority” have the meanings given in regulation 2(1)(b) of the 2010 Regulations.

Changes to earlier transitional routes (including the 2013 route)

20.Subject to savings and exceptions (including for HRB work / work to an existing HRB), the Amendment Regulations:

•revoke regulation 9 of the Building Regulations &c. (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2013(the 2013 Regulations); and

•amend regulation 17(1)(a) of the Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2021 (the 2021 Regulations).

21.In such cases, it will not be possible to continue relying on 2010 energy efficiency standards in relation to a building pursuant to the revoked provisions, unless:

•regulation 9 of the 2013 Regulations applied to building work on the particular building immediately before 24 March 2027; and

•the building work is started before 24 March 2028.

22.The revocation of earlier transitional provisions does not apply to HRB work or work to an existing HRB.

23.In cases where an application relates to a number of buildings on a site (for example, a number of houses), transitional provisions apply by reference to each individual building, and only those buildings that meet the relevant commencement/starting conditions may benefit.

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ENQUIRIES

All enquiries on matters covered by this Circular should be addressed to:

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

2Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DF

E-mail: ecopolicy@communities.gov.uk

Date: 24 March 2026

Signed:

Keeran Jugdoyal

Deputy Director, New Build Standards and Performance in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

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ANNEX A

The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/335) summary

These Regulations amend the Building Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2214) as they apply in relation to England. They also amend the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (England) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/110).

Regulation 1 provides for citation, commencement and application. The Regulations come into force on 24 March 2027, with specified provisions (regulations 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9) coming into force for HRB work or work to an existing HRB on 24 September 2027, and apply to buildings and building work in England.

Regulation 2 contains interpretation provisions.

Regulation 3 amends the Building Regulations 2010, including:

•amending the definition of fixed building services to include fixed lifts, escalators and moving walks in new buildings (excluding individual dwellings);

•amending regulation 6 (material change of use) to reflect the change of heading for paragraph L1 of Schedule 1 to the 2010 Regulations (to add a reference to the minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions);

•amending the heading to regulation 40 to add a reference to minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions;

•inserting regulation 40C, requiring that information provided to owners of new dwellings pursuant to regulations 39–40B must be provided in an appropriate format;

•amending Schedule 1, Part L so that:

•amending the heading to Part L to “Energy and greenhouse gas emissions”;

•where paragraph L1 applies, reasonable provision must be made for conservation of fuel and power and minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions; and

•inserting new paragraph L3 (functional requirement for renewable electricity generation for dwellings and buildings containing dwellings), including limits on application.

Regulation 4 amends the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (England) Regulations 2024 to include reference to regulation 40C alongside regulation 40B.

Regulation 5 makes transitional provision for building work which is not higher-risk building work (including a stage of higher-risk building work) or work to an existing higher-risk building.

Regulations 6 to 8 make transitional provision, respectively, for higher-risk building work, a stage of higher-risk building work, and work to an existing higher-risk building.

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Regulation 9 makes transitional provision in relation to some cases to which Schedule 3 (transitional, supplementary and savings provisions) to the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023 applies.

Regulation 10 makes revocations and amendments, subject to savings, relating to certain earlier transitional arrangements, and makes associated transitional provision. Regulation 11 requires review of the regulatory provision made by the Amendment Regulations.

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ANNEX B

Building Act 1984

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ANNEX C

Building Act 1984