New regulations to ease the application of Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 for single dwellings and for domestic extensions have been announced.

Following a review of S.I. No. 9 of 2014 after 12 months in operation, new amendment regulations that will remove the mandatory requirement for statutory certificates of compliance in respect of a new dwelling on a single unit development or a domestic extension. An owner, which includes self-builders, of such projects will be given the choice to opt out of statutory certification and may instead demonstrate by alternative means that they have met their general obligation to build in accordance with the minimum requirements of the building regulations. Additional guidance, including a Sample Preliminary Inspection Plan, will be published to assist with this process.

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To ensure that building standards do not slip in respect of these types of builds; a new fit-for purpose local authority inspection process will be developed. The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government will now engage with The County and City Management Association to ensure inspection capability is developed and resourced over time with definitive targets and timelines for delivery, to ensure progressive improvement by local authorities in all sectors, i.e. single dwellings, multi-unit residential developments and commercial buildings.

The regulations will come into effect from 01 September 2015.

(CD)