The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023

Change control applications: decisions

24.—(1) The regulator must grant the building control approval sought in a change control application unless the application or any document that accompanied the application—

(a) does not comply with the requirements of regulation 21 (change control applications) or any direction relating to the application or the document given by the regulator under regulation 59 (electronic submission and directions);

(b) is not sufficiently detailed in any respect to allow the regulator to determine whether the HRB work, the stage of HRB work or work to existing HRB would contravene any applicable requirement of the building regulations;

(c) shows the HRB work, the stage of HRB work or work to existing HRB would contravene any applicable requirement of the building regulations;

(d) shows the strategies, policies or procedures in any agreed document (including in relation to controlled changes, mandatory occurrence reporting, competence of persons or sharing of information and co-operation) would contravene, or would be likely to contravene, the requirements of—

(i) regulations 18 to 21 and 26 to 29 (changes to documents or persons);

(ii) regulations 31, 38 and 39 (golden thread etc);

(iii) regulations 32 to 37 (mandatory occurrence reporting);

(iv) Part 2A (dutyholders and competence) of the 2010 Regulations.

(2) If one or more of the reasons in paragraph (1) applies, the regulator may—

(a) reject the change control application, or

(b) with the written consent of the applicant, grant the building control approval sought in the application subject to one or more requirements.

(3) The types of requirement that may be imposed under paragraph (2)(b) include—

(a) a requirement to provide a specified plan or document, or a revised version of a specified plan or document, within a specified period;

(b) a requirement that work does not proceed beyond a specified point until a specified plan or other document, or a revised version of a specified plan or other document, has been given to, and approved by, the regulator.

(4) The regulator must notify the applicant of the outcome of the change control application (and where the applicant is not the client, also give a copy of the notification to the client) within the period referred to in regulation 22 (change control applications: validity and time limit).

(5) A notice that the application has been rejected must give the reasons for rejection.

(6) A notice that the building control approval sought in the change control application has been granted subject to a requirement must specify the requirement imposed.

(7) If requested by the applicant, the regulator must provide a paper copy of the notice of building control approval.

(8) Where a change control application is successful the effect is that from the date of the notice under paragraph (4)—

(a) building control approval for the HRB work, the stage of HRB work or work to existing HRB is granted;

(b) subject to paragraphs (9) and (10)—

(i) the description of the proposed controlled change, and

(ii) the revised version of the agreed document that accompanied the application,

are approved.

(9) Where building control approval has been granted subject to a requirement that a plan or document must be revised, the unrevised plan or document is not approved by paragraph (8)(b).

(10) Where—

(a) building control approval has been granted subject to a requirement that a plan or document must be revised, and

(b) the plan or document is revised in accordance with the requirement,

paragraph (8)(b) applies in relation to the revised plan or document.

(11) Where building control approval has been granted subject to a requirement of a type described in paragraph (3)(b)—

(a) the client must ensure the work does not proceed beyond the point specified in the requirement until approval by the regulator to the plan or document has been received;

(b) where a request for approval has been received by the regulator it must notify the client of the outcome of the request within 6 weeks beginning with the date the request is received by the regulator or within such longer period as at any time the regulator and the client agree in writing;

(c) a notice that the request has been rejected must give the reasons for rejection, and

(d) if requested by the client, the regulator must provide a paper copy of the approval.