Building Regulations Seminars

Copies of the presentations given at the recent series of Departmental seminars are now available to download - click here for a list of presentations

The Department of Finance and Personnel, which has responsibility for maintaining the building regulations, made an amendment to the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 on 31 August 2006.  The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2006 will come into operation on 30 November and comprise the following changes—

1.Part F has been replaced. New regulations to raise energy performance standards have been introduced and compliance will be measured against an overall emissions target. For the first time, buildings over 1000 m² undergoing major refurbishment will have to be upgraded to comply with the energy performance requirements.

2.Part L has been replaced and renamed “Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems” to become more inclusive of solid fuel, oil and gas fired appliances and the storage of their associated fuel. New regulations for the provision of information, the protection of liquid fuel storage tanks and the protection against pollution have also been introduced and all references to the deemed-to-satisfy documents for Part L have been updated.

3.Part R has been replaced and renamed “Access to and use of buildings”. The amendment is only in relation to buildings other than dwellings with the introduction of new regulations for access to extensions and sanitary accommodation in extensions.

4.New tables have been substituted for Tables F, H, L, R and V of Schedule 5 so that updated deemed-to-satisfy references are inserted.

5.Consequential amendments have been made to Part A.

6.Minor amendments have been made to Parts B and V and to Table E of Schedule 5.

Copies of the Statutory Rule, associated Technical Booklets F1, F2, H, L and R and Amendment Booklet AMD3 are available from the Stationery Office and online at www.buildingregulations.gov.uk and www.opsi.gov.uk