building regulations | The Planner

Appeal: Safety of house hand-built from tyres not demonstrated

16.10.2020

An inspector has refused retrospective permission for a ‘charming’ off-grid Fenland home built from worn-out tyres by hand despite noting that the decision would interfere with the appellant’s human rights,...

Grenfell shows we must fortify the link between planning and building regs

16.09.2020

Malcolm Sharp MBE

The Grenfell disaster shows that a dangerous disjointedness between planning and building regulations. It's a gap that must be closed, says Malcolm Sharp

News analysis: How sites visits are being conducted during Covid-19

28.05.2020

Laura Edgar

Visiting potential sites for development is one of the final steps in processing a planning application, so how has coronavirus (Covid-19) affected the way building control professionals go about ensuring works comply with building regulations?

Energy efficient homes / iStock-901093568

Poor energy efficiency of homes damaging efforts to tackle climate change

15.07.2019

Laura Edgar

The government should legislate for the Future Homes Standard by 2022 ‘at the very latest’ to guarantee that by 2025 no more homes are built that need to be retrofitted to make them more energy efficient.

High rise residential buildings / iStock-530194388

Planning authorities should consult fire & rescue services when considering applications, says Hackitt

21.05.2018

Laura Edgar

Local planning authorities should consult with a newly created body on high-risk residential buildings (HRRB) to ensure that in the event of a fire, the building is accessible to rescue services.

England round-up: Consultation on new building safety rules; Illegal HMO uncovered as London council continues enforcement crackdown

13.04.2018

Laura Edgar

A round-up of planning news in England: 7 April-13 April, 2018

Building safety consultation / iStock-509228272

Consultation on new building safety rules

11.04.2018

Laura Edgar

Housing secretary Sajid Javid has published a consultation on proposals that aim to strengthen fire testing for cladding systems on residential buildings.

Sustainable building policy shake-up

16.06.2014

Roger Milne

The Welsh Government has confirmed it will withdraw its detailed policy on planning for sustainable buildings at the end of next month (July).