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2002 No. 2871

BUILDING AND BUILDINGS, ENGLAND AND WALES

The Building (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2002

  Made 16th November 2002 
  Laid before Parliament 25th November 2002 
  Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 1(1) and 47(1) of, and paragraphs 1, 2, 7, 8 and 10 of Schedule 1 to, the Building Act 1984[1], and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, after consulting the Building Regulations Advisory Committee and such other bodies as appear to him to be representative of the interests concerned in accordance with section 14(3) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement
     1. These Regulations may be cited as the Building (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 and shall come into force - 

Amendment of the Building Regulations 2000
    
2.  - (1) The Building Regulations 2000[2] ("the principal Regulations") are amended as follows.

    (2) In regulation 2(1) (interpretation) after the definition of "public body's notice" insert - 

    (3) In regulation 5 (meaning of material change of use)

    (4) In regulation 6 (requirements relating to material change of use) - 

    (5) For regulation 8 (limitation on requirements) substitute - 

    (6) In regulation 20(1) (supervision of building work otherwise than by local authorities) for "and 19" substitute ", 19 and 20A".

    (7) After regulation 20 insert - 

    (8) For Part B of Schedule 1 (fire safety) substitute the Part set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

    (9) For Part E of Schedule 1 (resistance to the passage of sound) substitute the Part set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

Transitional provisions
    
3.  - (1) Paragraphs (2) to (5) apply for the purposes of the amendments made to the principal Regulations other than that which comes into force on 1st March 2003 ("the amendments").

    (2) Subject to paragraph (3), where before 1st July 2003 building work has commenced in accordance with - 

the principal Regulations shall continue to apply to that building work as if the amendments had not been made.

    (3) Where an initial notice given before 1st July 2003 is varied by an amendment notice given on or after that date, the principal Regulations shall continue to apply as if the amendments had not been made, to so much of the building work as could have been carried out under that initial notice if the amendment notice had not been given.

    (4) Where before 1st July 2003 full plans of building work have been deposited with a local authority in accordance with regulation 12(2) of the principal Regulations and the local authority has, before that date - 

the principal Regulations shall continue to apply to that building work as if the amendments had not been made, whether or not the building work departs from those plans.

    (5) Where plans of building work are the subject of a plans certificate, or a plans certificate combined with an initial notice, given to a local authority before 1st July 2003 in accordance with section 50 of the Act, and accepted by the local authority either before, on or after that date, the principal Regulations shall continue to apply to that building work as if the amendments had not been made, whether or not the building work departs from those plans.

    
4.  - (1) Paragraph (2) applies for the purpose of the amendment made to the principal Regulations which comes into force on 1st January 2004 ("the amendment").

    (2) Where before 1st January 2004 building work which consists of the erection of a dwelling-house or a building containing flats has commenced in accordance with a building notice given to, or full plans deposited with, a local authority under regulation 12(2) of the principal Regulations and a notice given to the local authority under regulation 15(1) of the principal Regulations, the principal Regulations shall continue to apply to that building work as if the amendment had not been made.



Signed by authority of the First Secretary of State


Christopher Leslie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

16th November 2002



SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 2(8)


PART B OF SCHEDULE 1 TO THE BUILDING REGULATIONS 2000, AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONS


Requirement Limits on application
PART B FIRE SAFETY     
Means of warning and escape
     B1. The building shall be designed and constructed so that there are appropriate provisions for the early warning of fire, and appropriate means of escape in case of fire from the building to a place of safety outside the building capable of being safely and effectively used at all material times.

Requirement B1 does not apply to any prison provided under section 33 of the Prison Act 1952 [3](power to provide prisons etc.).
Internal fire spread (linings)
     B2.  - 

    (1) To inhibit the spread of fire within the building, the internal linings shall - 

    (a) adequately resist the spread of flame over their surfaces; and

    (b) have, if ignited, either a rate of heat release or a rate of fire growth, which is reasonable in the circumstances.

    (2) In this paragraph "internal linings" means the materials or products used in lining any partition, wall, ceiling or other internal structure.

    
Internal fire spread (structure)
     B3.  - 

    (1) The building shall be designed and constructed so that, in the event of fire, its stability will be maintained for a reasonable period.

    (2) A wall common to two or more buildings shall be designed and constructed so that it adequately resists the spread of fire between those buildings. For the purposes of this sub-paragraph a house in a terrace and a semi-detached house are each to be treated as a separate building.

    (3) To inhibit the spread of fire within the building, it shall be sub-divided with fire-resisting construction to an extent appropriate to the size and intended use of the building.

    (4) The building shall be designed and constructed so that the unseen spread of fire and smoke within concealed spaces in its structure and fabric is inhibited.

Requirement B3(3) does not apply to material alterations to any prison provided under section 33 of the Prison Act 1952.
External Fire Spread
     B4  - 

    (1) The external walls of the building shall adequately resist the spread of fire over the walls and from one building to another, having regard to the height, use and position of the building.

    (2) The roof of the building shall adequately resist the spread of fire over the roof and from one building to another, having regard to the use and position of the building.

Access and facilities for the fire service
     B5.  - 

    (1) The building shall be designed and constructed so as to provide reasonable facilities to assist fire fighters in the protection of life.

    (2) Reasonable provision shall be made within the site of the building to enable fire appliances to gain access to the building.

    



SCHEDULE 2
Regulation 2(9)


PART E OF SCHEDULE 1 TO THE BUILDING REGULATIONS 2000, AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONS


Requirement Limits on application
PART E RESISTANCE TO THE PASSAGE OF SOUND     
Protection against sound from other parts of the building and adjoining buildings
     E1. Dwelling-houses, flats and rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way that they provide reasonable resistance to sound from other parts of the same building and from adjoining buildings.

    
Protection against sound within a dwelling-house etc.
     E2. Dwelling-houses, flats and rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way that - 

    (a) internal walls between a bedroom or a room containing a water closet, and other rooms; and

    (b) internal floors,

provide reasonable resistance to sound.

Requirement E2 does not apply to - 

    (a) an internal wall which contains a door;

    (b) an internal wall which separates an en suite toilet from the associated bedroom;

    (c) existing walls and floors in a building which is subject to a material change of use.

Reverberation in common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for residential purposes
     E3. The common internal parts of buildings which contain flats or rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way as to prevent more reverberation around the common parts than is reasonable.

Requirement E3 only applies to corridors, stairwells, hallways and entrance halls which give access to the flat or room for residential purposes.
Acoustic conditions in schools
     E4.  - 

    (1) Each room or other space in a school building shall be designed and constructed in such a way that it has the acoustic conditions and the insulation against disturbance by noise appropriate to its intended use.

    (2) For the purposes of this Part - 

"school" has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Education Act 1996[4]; and

"school building" means any building forming a school or part of a school.

    



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations amend the Building Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/2531 amended by S.I. 2001/3335 and 2002/440). In addition to minor and drafting amendments the following changes of substance are made.

A definition of "room for residential purposes" is inserted and the requirements applicable to material changes of use are extended to include such rooms (regulation 2(2), (3) and (4)).

New regulation 20A is inserted which requires the carrying out of sound insulation testing in certain circumstances (regulation 2(7)).

New Part B of Schedule 1 (fire safety) is substituted for the existing Part. New requirements on internal fire spread (linings) are inserted in paragraph B2(1) to allow for testing to European standards (regulation 2(8)).

New Part E of Schedule 1 (resistance to the passage of sound) is substituted for the existing Part. The scope of Part E is extended to rooms for residential purposes and there are new requirements on sound insulation between rooms, reverberation in common parts of buildings and acoustics in schools (regulation 2(9)).

Regulations 3 and 4 contain transitional provisions in relation to sound insulation testing and the new Part E. There are no transitional provisions in relation to the new Part B, as building work that complies with the existing Part B will also comply with the new Part B.

The Secretary of State has approved, under section 6(4) of the Building Act 1984, amendments of the approved document containing practical guidance with respect to the requirements contained in Part B. "Amendments 2002 to Approved Document B (Fire safety)" (ISBN 011 7536377, £4) will be published by The Stationery Office.

The Secretary of State has also approved, under section 6(1), a new approved document containing practical guidance with respect to the requirements contained in regulation 20A and Part E. "Approved Document E-Resistance to the passage of sound" (2003 Edition, ISBN 011 7536423, £14.00) will be published by The Stationery Office. The sound insulation testing procedure described in Appendix B to Approved Document E and the manner of recording test results set out in paragraph 1.41 of the Approved Document have been approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of regulation 20A(2)(a) and (3)(a) respectively.

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared in relation to the new requirements on internal fire spread (linings) and the new Part E and requirement for sound insulation testing. A copy may be obtained from Building Regulations Division, ODPM, 18/B Portland House, Stag Place, London, SW1E 5LP (Tel: 020 7944 5755; Fax: 020 7944 5739; Email: bregsa.br&odpm.gov.uk).


Notes:

[1] 1984 c. 55. Sections 47 and 50 were amended by, and section 51A was inserted by, S.I. 1996/1905.back

[2] S.I. 2000/2531 as amended by S.I. 2001/3335 and 2002/440.back

[3] 1952 c. 52 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 c. 33 and by the Prison Commissioners Dissolution Order 1963, S.I. 1963/597.back

[4] 1996 c. 56. Section 4(1) was substituted by section 51 of the Education Act 1997 (c. 44).back



ISBN 0 11 043737 3


  Prepared 25 November 2002


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URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2002/20022871.html