Building (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These regulations further amend the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994 (“the principal Regulations”). They come into operation on 1 April 1999. They do not apply to work which has been completed, or for which plans have been deposited with a district council, before that date.

These regulations were notified in draft to the European Commission in accordance with Directive 83/189/EEC (1983 O.J. L109/8) (as amended).

These regulations introduce new Parts D (Structure), F (Conservation of fuel and power) and K (Ventilation) which revise the existing Parts D, F and K of the principal Regulations.

These new Parts introduce the following changes of substance—

(a) instead of requiring that the design, dead, imposed and wind loads of a building be calculated in a particular way, the new Part D allows the use of other methods of calculation;

(b) in the new Part F requirements have been added in relation to artificial lighting systems and the requirements of that Part are now supplemented by a new Technical Booklet in place of the former documentary standards describing methods or materials which are deemed to satisfy those requirements; and

(c) in the new Part K requirements have been added in relation to non-domestic buildings and the requirements of that Part is also supplemented by a new Technical Booklet.

Apart from these, the main changes to the principal Regulations are as follows—

1.  Provision is added allowing for the calculation of the so-called SAP energy rating for the energy efficiency of dwellings. A SAP energy rating is now required when a dwelling is constructed and must be submitted along with the plans or building notice and on completion.

2.  Part F is applied wherever a change of use occurs in relation to any building.

3.  Schedule 3 is updated to include references to the publications which are, for the first time, included in these regulations.

The publications referred to in these Regulations may be obtained from the following sources—

(a) British Standards and British Standard Codes of Practice, from the Sales Department, British Standards Institution, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes MK14 6LE;

(b) The Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure for energy rating of dwellings: 1996 edition, from the Building Research Establishment, Garston, Watford WD2 7JR; and

(c) DOE (NI) Technical Booklets, from branches of The Stationery Office.