Building regulations ''in plain English''

Building Regulations approval needs to be sought before embarking on many home improvements and the British public needs to be reminded of this, according to experts.

The Construction Centre, which researches building products, said that compliance to regulations concerning health, safety, disabled access and energy conservation are very important.

Brits will be able to obtain consumer-orientated details of building regulations soon because the government has planned leaflets which are written in easy-to-understand language for the everyday DIY enthusiast.

Richard Simmons, from the Construction Centre, said: "Making the documentation easier to understand will be a positive step forward and will help to ensure safe building practices for smaller projects such as home improvements."

Such regulations are needed for projects like loft extensions, building a garage, skylight installation, cavity wall insulation, removing a partition wall and moving the hot water cylinder.

If you are doing work you should contact your local authority''s building control department to get approval from inspectors.


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