The Building regulations (BR) apply to building work in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and set standards for the design and construction of buildings. They ensure the safety and health of people in or about those buildings, as well as including requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved and facilities are provided for people, including those with disabilities, to access and move around inside buildings. In this section you can also learn more about compliance with the BR and the consequences of not complying.

Getting approval for building work in terms of the BR is a separate matter from obtaining planning permission for your work. Similarly, receiving any planning permission that your work may require is not the same as taking action to ensure that it complies with the BR.

If you are looking for more information, you should visit the Planning Portal website. The Planning Portal is the Government's online planning and BR resource for England and Wales. In Northern Ireland, for more information on Building Control, go to Building Control and for planning permission go to nidirect.

Restrictive covenants

A restrictive covenant is a private agreement between landowners that restricts the way land may be used and developed. They are enforceable by one landowner against another and effectively allow a form of private planning control.

For more information see our 'How restrictive covenants affect land use' section.