Were building regulations required in 1988?

Nick87

Hi,

I'm in the process of buying a house and I have just had the local authority search back.

There is an single story extension on the side of the house but it doesn't have planning permission or building regulations.

The solicitor has said that as it was built in 1988 it doesn't have building regulations. Is this true that building regulation weren't required in 1988?.

The extension is on the side of the house and they have effectively removed the side wall of the house on the ground floor and put in a beam that runs from front to back of the house ~3m.

Should I be concerned that there is no planning permission or building regulations?

Thanks,

Nick

Surrey_EA

From memory building regulations approval would have been required for an extension built in 1988. However, the local authority only has 4 years to take any sort of enforcement action for lack of building regs, and I think it's 10 years for lack of planning permission. You're outside of both of those, so the only concern was whether it has been built to a satisfactory standard, and any defects are rather likely to have made themselves obvious by now. Have you had a survey carried out yet?

davidmcn

Anything built in 1988 is ancient history as far as statutory consents are concerned - though how do you know it was built in 1988 if there's no paperwork?

Nick87

Thank you for your reply.

We have had a survey done, which didn't highlight any problems with the extension, only that a check should be made for planning and building regulations

Nick87

The seller has informed our solicitor that it was built in 1988

booksurr

Building regulations were first codified in statute law in 1965, however that is not the question you need to ask, rather it is in 1988 did the THEN set of building regulations have anything to do with the specific set of works done on your property. When regulations change over time builders do not have to go back and re-work everything they have ever did to make it conform to current standards

All the above is however effectively irrelevant for the reasons mentioned by Surrey EA. Your position is simply: there is no paperwork to confirm that the work was done to BR standards (whatever they were in 1988) so you now need satisfaction that the building is not going to fall down and therefore the work was to some sort of standard!

The building has stood since 1988, it has not yet fallen down.

Are there any signs of cracks etc around the supports on either side of the gap? Will you (or your vendor if you twist their arm) pay for a structural engineer to strip off plaster and expose whatever beam has been used so you can be certain how the work has been done? If not then you are buying blind on the basis the building clearly has not failed over the last 28 years since the work was done

davidmcn

Nick87 wrote: »

The seller has informed our solicitor that it was built in 1988

Well, if you're satisfied that it is (roughly) from that era, it sounds like you're good to go.