Guidance

Building regulations: appeals

Guidance about meeting the building regulations, given by decisions on appeals against refusals by local authorities to relax or dispense with one or more requirements of the regulations.

Introduction

A local authority may refuse an application from someone carrying out building works to relax or dispense with one or more requirements of the building regulations. If this happens, the person carrying out the building works may appeal against the local authority’s decision to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

We’ve published a guide to determinations and appeals that contains more details about the appeals process and when you should use it. The law governing the procedure is the Building Act 1984.

All the decisions on appeals made by the Secretary of State are listed below, categorised by the part of the building regulations they refer to.

If you have more questions about building regulations appeals, email enquiries.br@levellingup.gov.uk.

How to appeal

The appeal procedure is a 2-stage process. First, you make an application to the local authority (whether or not you are using the local authority or an approved inspector to provide the building control service for your building work) asking the authority to either relax or dispense with the particular requirement of the building regulations.

Only if the local authority refuses will you need to consider using your right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. You would complete the form below and post or email it to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The address is on the form.

A1: loading

The downloads below relate to part A1 of the building regulations.

B1: means of warning and escape

The downloads below relate to part B1 of the building regulations.

Appeal about the removal of 3 internal walls and installation of bi-fold door (ref: App/007/002/014)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@communities.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

B2: internal fire spread (linings)

The downloads below relate to part B2 of the building regulations.

B3: internal fire spread (structure)

The downloads below relate to part B3 of the building regulations.

B4: external fire spread

The downloads below relate to part B4 of the building regulations.

B5: access and facilities for the fire service

The downloads below relate to part B5 of the building regulations.

E1: protection against sound from parts of the building and adjoining buildings

The downloads below relate to part E1 of the building regulations.

F1: means of ventilation

The downloads below relate to part F1 of the building regulations.

F2: condensation in roofs

The downloads below relate to part F2 of the building regulations.

H2: wastewater treatment systems and cesspools

The downloads below relate to part H2 of the building regulations.

H3: rainwater drainage

The downloads below relate to part H3 of the building regulations.

K1: stairs, ladders and ramps

The downloads below relate to part K1 of the building regulations.

Appeal against refusal in respect of the limited headroom on the stairs, forming part of a loft in a new detached bungalow (ref: SB/007/002/017)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@communities.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Appeal against refusal in respect of the limited headroom on the stairs, forming part of a loft conversion (ref: SB/007/002/016)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@communities.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

K2: protection from falling

The downloads below relate to part K2 of the building regulations.

L1: conservation of fuel and power

The downloads below relate to part L1 of the building regulations.

Appeal against refusal in respect of replacing two boilers as part of a conversion of two dwellings into one (ref: App/007/002/015)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@communities.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Appeal about the conversion of a barn (ref: SB/007/002/011)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@communities.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

M1: access and use

The downloads below relate to part M1 of the building regulations.

M2: access to extensions to buildings other than dwellings

The downloads below relate to part M2 of the building regulations.

M3: sanitary conveniences in extensions to buildings other than dwellings

The downloads below relate to part M3 of the building regulations.

M4: sanitary conveniences in dwellings

The downloads below relate to part M4 of the building regulations.

Local Acts

The downloads below relate to local Acts.

Appeal relating to more than one requirement

The downloads below relate to more than one part of the building regulations.

Appeal against refusal to relax or dispense with requirements on a material change of use (ref: App/007/002/018)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@communities.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Published 15 November 2012
Last updated 10 May 2016 + show all updates
  1. Added decision letter : Appeal against refusal to relax or dispense with requirements on a material change of use (ref: App/007/002/014), under sub heading: Appeal relating to more than one requirement.

  2. Added three new appeal letters . Ref 007/002/015 under Part L1, 007/002/016 and 007/002/017 under Part K1.

  3. Added appeal decision letter under subheading 'B1: means of warning and escaper' - 'Appeal about the removal of 3 internal walls and installation of bi-fold door (ref: SB/007/002/014)

  4. Added decision letter on the conversion of a property into self contained flats under B1: means of warning and escape.

  5. First published.