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

Golden thread E+W

31.—(1) The arrangements made by a client under regulation 11A (suitable arrangements to ensure compliance with requirements etc) of the 2010 Regulations must include—

(a) where the work is HRB work or a stage of HRB work—

(i) arrangements for an electronic facility to be created and maintained by the client (or someone on their behalf) for the purpose of holding the golden thread information;

(ii) procedures for persons involved with designing or carrying out the work to have access to the facility for the purpose of maintaining the golden thread information in the facility;

(b) where the work is work to existing HRB—

(i) arrangements for an electronic facility which holds the golden thread information to be maintained by the client (or someone on their behalf) for the purpose of updating the golden thread information in relation to the work;

(ii) procedures for persons involved with designing or carrying out the work to have access to the facility for the purpose of maintaining the golden thread information in the facility.

(2) The client must ensure the golden thread information—

(a) is kept in an electronic format,

(b) is capable of being transferred electronically to other persons without the data, information or document in it being lost or corrupted,

(c) is accurate and up to date,

(d) is available in a readable format which is intelligible to the intended readers of the data, and any key needed to understand the data is provided with the data,

(e) is made available as soon as reasonably practicable following a request from a principal designer (or sole or lead designer) or principal contractor (or sole contractor) to enable them to comply with their requirements under the building regulations,

(f) is secure from unauthorised access,

(g) is only changed in accordance with procedures which record the person who made the change and the date of that change, and

(h) as far as is reasonably practicable uses language, terminology and definitions which are consistent.

(3) The principal designer (or sole or lead designer) must ensure designs for the building work produced before a building control approval application for HRB work, a stage of HRB work or work to existing HRB is submitted are provided to the client and the client must ensure, before the construction phase begins (or, in the case of a stage of HRB work, that stage begins), the facility referred to in paragraph (1) is updated to include the design.

(4) Where building control approval for HRB work, a stage of HRB work or work to existing HRB is granted the client must ensure, before the construction phase begins (or, in the case of a stage of HRB work, that stage begins), the facility referred to in paragraph (1) includes—

(a) a copy of the fire statement in relation to the higher-risk building or proposed higher-risk building,

(b) where the work is HRB work or a stage of HRB work, a copy of the plans and each of the other documents for the proposed higher-risk building which are approved under regulation 7(8)(b) (building control approval applications for HRB work or stage of HRB work: decisions) together with all the evidence recorded to show compliance with the applicable requirements of the building regulations, and

(c) where the work is work to existing HRB, a copy of the plans and each of the other documents for the work which are approved under regulation 15(8)(b) (building control approval applications for work to existing HRB: decisions) together with all the evidence recorded to show compliance with the applicable requirements of the building regulations.

(5) Where regulation 10 (notification of emergency repairs to existing HRB) applies in relation the work, the client must ensure a copy of the notice required under regulation 10(1)(a) is included in the facility referred to in paragraph (1).

(6) Where an agreed document is provided or approved under the terms of a requirement imposed on the grant of a building control approval under—

(a) regulation 7 (building control approval applications for HRB work or stage of HRB work: decisions);

(b) regulation 15 (building control approval applications for work to existing HRB: decisions);

(c) regulation 24 (change control applications: decisions),

the client must ensure the facility referred to in paragraph (1) is updated to include a copy of that agreed document as soon as practicable after the document is provided or approved.

(7) Where a controlled change is proposed the client must ensure a copy of the record required to be made under regulation 18(2)(a) (change control) is included in the facility referred to in paragraph (1) as soon as practicable after the change is recorded and where the proposed change is not carried out the facility referred to in paragraph (1) must be updated with a note to that effect.

(8) Where a controlled change is proposed and an agreed document is affected by the change, the client must ensure a copy of the revised version of the document required to be produced under regulation 18(2)(b) (change control) is included in the facility referred to in paragraph (1) as soon as practicable after the revised version is produced and where the proposed change is not carried out the facility referred to in paragraph (1) must be updated with a note to that effect.

(9) Where a notice is given under regulation 29 (new principal contractor or principal designer etc: notification), the client must ensure the facility referred to in paragraph (1) is updated to include a copy of the notice and any statement which accompanied that notice as soon as practicable after the notice is given.

(10) Where a written report is provided to the regulator under regulation 33 (mandatory occurrence reporting: reporting to the regulator), the client must ensure the facility referred to in paragraph (1) is updated to include a copy of that report as soon as practicable after the report is provided.

(11) Where the client proposes to make a completion certificate application or a partial completion certificate application they must ensure the facility referred to in paragraph (1) is updated to include a copy of the proposed application and a copy of each document which it is proposed will accompany the application.

(12) The requirements of this regulation do not apply to work to existing HRB which consists only of—

(a) scheme work, or

(b) exempt work.

(13) In this regulation—

“fire statement” means any statement in relation to the higher-risk building or proposed higher-risk building submitted in accordance with article 9A of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015(1);

“golden thread information” means the information required by this regulation to be included in the facility referred to in paragraph (1), including previous versions of any document which has been updated.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 31 in force at 1.10.2023, see reg. 1(1)

(1)

S.I. 2015/595. Article 9A was inserted by S.I. 2021/746.