If you are thinking about erecting a new building, altering or extending an existing building, converting a building or even demolishing a building, you will most likely require a building warrant. A building warrant needs to be issued before starting any work.
You may also need planning permission, so please check before starting the work.
Building Standards have produced new guidance regarding the requirement for a building warrant. You can read this guidance ‘Do I need a Building Warrant’ here.
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Building Standards received the Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS) award for outstanding service and commitment in customer focus on the 16th September 2022 at the LABSS congress Dundee.
The Building Standards Team have successfully passed their annual re-accreditation assessment for the Customer Service Excellence standard. This challenging standard assesses 57 different elements of customer service and is the only Government endorsed standard in the UK. To gain the standard the applicant team has to fully comply with at least 46 out of the 57 elements - this year we have not only achieved all 57 elements, but have also been given a further three Compliance+ status which brings our Compliance+ status to twenty three. This demonstrates our ongoing improvement and increasing levels of customer service.
What do building standards do?
If you are considering building, altering, converting, extending or demolishing a building, it is likely that you will need to apply for permission. Building standards should not be confused with planning. The planning process is concerned with, amongst other issues, the siting of the building, its visual impact on the surrounding area and general aesthetics. Building standards is concerned with how the building is constructed in relation to structure and fire, means of escape, its energy efficiency and accessibility and the general health and safety of the building users. Therefore in many cases both a building warrant and planning permission must be obtained before building works commence.
The principal aim of building standards is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of people in and around buildings, the conservation of fuel and power and the encouragement of sustainability in buildings
This is achieved through the processing of warrant applications and issuing/acceptance of completion certificates to ensure compliance with the building standards.
STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF CLADDING SYSTEMS (EXTERNAL WALL INSULATED RENDER SYSTEM) ADVICE FOR ALL PROPERTY OWNERS
As part of its on-going building safety programme, the Scottish Government has provided advice and guidance on action required for certain types of building.
Its guidance is for you if you are responsible for the maintenance of a building:
- with external insulation finished with render or brick -slips, particularly, but not exclusively, those with a storey at a height of more than 18 metres above the ground or in an exposed location.
In order to fully assess Scotland's housing stock, and to identify actions being undertaken by building owners in the event that any buildings may have inadequate design or poor installation of EWI systems, the Scottish Government would be grateful if you would complete and return the pro-forma schedule, to BFSResponse@gov.scot as soon as possible, so that any issues can be logged.