A lot of people confuse planning permission with Building Regulations consent. This is quite understandable, because traditionally these are both sets of regulations governing new building works, administered by the local authority.

It’s important to appreciate, however, that planning permission and Building Regulations are in fact quite separate hurdles that need to be overcome on the route to a building project. Unfortunately, just because you have obtained planning permission, it does not mean that your scheme will comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations. Planning permission deals with what buildings are used for, how they look and what impact they will have on the local environment. Building Regulations, meanwhile, set minimum standards for the work to be undertaken, and therefore cover critical practical subjects such as structural stability, means of fire escape, provision of drainage and ventilation, disabled access and energy efficiency.

Now that you have your planning consent in the bag, you will need to revisit the design in more detail to look at all of the relevant technical areas before making an application for approval under the Building Regulations. These days, you have the option to use a private ‘approved inspector’ if you’d prefer not to deal with the local authority. These inspectors usually charge you no more than the council might. Unsurprisingly, either way, the service is not free!

Answer by Hugo Tugman, www.architect-yourhome.com