Amendment building regulations and approved documents (WG 003/2014)

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Circular

Issued by:

Francois Samuel: Head of Building Regulations

Summary:

This circular introduces a new Part 7A to the Building Regulations 2010 for fire suppression systems made by Building Regulations &c. (Amendment No. 3) and Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Regulations 2013. The circular also clarifies the effects of the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2010 and the amendments to Approved Document B - Fire Safety - volumes 1 and 2.

Link to Building Regulations &c. (Amendment No. 3) and Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Regulations 2013 S.I. 2013 No. 2730 (W. 264) :- http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2013/2730/contents/made

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The Building Regulations etc (Amendment No. 3) (Wales) and Domestic Fire Safety Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2730 (W. 264)

INTRODUCTION

1.I am directed by Welsh Ministers to draw your attention to the Building Regulations etc (Amendment No. 3) and Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Regulations 2013 S.I. 2013/2730 (W. 264) (“the amendment regulations”), which were made on 22 October 2013 and will come into force for care homes and certain rooms for residential purposes from 30 April 2014 and for dwelling houses and flats from 1 January 2016.

2.The Welsh Ministers have brought Section 1 of the Domestic Fire Safety (Wales) Measure 2011 fully into force under powers contained in section 9(3). Section 7(1) of the Measure gives powers to the Welsh Ministers to make such transitional, transitory, consequential, saving, incidental, supplementary and other provision as they think necessary or appropriate in connection with or to give full effect to the Measure.

3.The Building Regulations 2010 are amended under powers contained in section 1 of and Schedule 1 to the Building Act 1984.

4.In accordance with section 14 (7) of the Building Act 1984, the amendment regulations were made after consultation with the Building Regulations Advisory Committee for Wales and such other bodies as appear to the Welsh Ministers to be representative of the interests concerned; this included an open consultation.

6.The purpose of this circular is to:

•draw attention to these amendments and explain the changes to the Building Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2214) and the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2215);

•draw attention to the amendments to Approved Document B - Fire Safety - Volume 2 (Buildings other than dwellinghouses)

APPLICATION OF THE REGULATIONS

7.The changes made by the amendment regulations do not apply in England or to excepted energy buildings in Wales.

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AMENDMENTS TO BUILDING REGULATIONS AND THE APPROVED INSPECTORS REGULATIONS

8.Annex A of this circular sets out in tabular form all the changes to the Building Regulations 2010 (2010/2214) made by SI 2013/2730 (W. 264)

9.Annex B of this circular sets out in tabular form all the changes to the Building (Approved Inspectors etc) Regulations 2010 (2010/2215) made by SI 2013/2730 (W. 264).

AMENDMENTS TO THE APPROVED DOCUMENTS

10.The revised Approved Document B Volume 2 (Buildings other than dwellinghouses) will be come into force on the 30 April 2014. The revised volume 2 provides guidance in relation to building work in relation to buildings covered within the new regulations 37A (1) (a) and 37A (1) (b). The amendments to volume 2 do not include amendments to Section 3 (Means of escape from flats) as the requirement for fire suppression systems in relation to flats do not come into force until 1 January 2016.

11.Amendments to Approved Document B Volume 1 (Dwellinghouses) and a further amendments to Approved Document B Volume 2 (Buildings other than dwellinghouses); to include changes to Section 3 (Means of escape from flats), will be issued in 2015. The amendments to volume 1 and to the “Flats” section of volume 2 will provide guidance in relation to building work covered within the new regulation 37A (1) (c) which will come into force on the 1 January 2016.

12.The amendments to the Approved Documents to be issued in 2015 will be accompanied by a further circular explaining the changes.

13.Annex C of this circular provides guidance on the approval of the amendment to Approved Document B Volume 2.

REGULATIONS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

14.The regulations and transitional provisions can be viewed at : http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2013/2730/contents/made

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ENQUIRIES

15.Any enquiries on this Circular Letter should be addressed to:

Colin Blick, Building Regulations, Welsh Government, Rhydycar, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 1UZ.

Telephone: 03000 628144.

E mail Colin.Blick@wales.gsi.gov.uk.

Yours faithfully

Francois Samuel

Head of Building Regulations

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Annex A

The following table lists all the changes made by S.I. 2013/2730 (W. 264) to the Building Regulations 2010 (2010/2214):

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Annex B

The following table lists all the changes made by S.I. 2013/2730 (w. 264) to the Building (Approved Inspector etc.) Regulations 2010 (2010/2215):

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Annex C

Building Act 1984