Building Control - Applications

How To Apply
Types of Application

If you know which type of application you require click on a link below

Full Plan Application

Building Notice Application

Demolition

Regularisation

Charges 2010 - 2011

How To Apply (In person or by post)You can bring in your completed application, plans and relevant fee or post them to:

Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Planning & Development Department
Town Hall
Hall Plain
Great Yarmouth
Norfolk
NR30 2QF

or

to any Great Yarmouth Borough Council Information and Service Centres.

Application forms are available at the above address and can be obtained either in person or by telephoning 01493 846396, 01493 846664, 01493 846392, 01493 846430 to have them sent to you.

You can also download your application form from this website

Applications via the Internet

Ways of submitting your application and plans via this website are currently being explored. This service is not yet available. If you think you would use this method of making an application, please let us know.


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Types of Application

Having ascertained that the work you want to carry out on your property requires Building Regulation consent, you now need to submit an application.

There are several different types of application, but generally applicants apply using either a Full Plans Application or a Building Notice.

Full Plan Application

For a full plan application you will need to submit with your completed form, two copies of plans/drawings (for some designated types of building it may be necessary to submit 4 copies) showing where and how your proposal is to be constructed and the relevant fee.
The total fee for this type of application is usually payable in two instalments, firstly a plan charge which is required at the time of application and secondly the inspection fee element which you will be invoiced on commencement of the work, usually after the first inspection has taken place.

After submitting this type of application, your plans will be checked for compliance with the relevant building regulations and if required any other relevant bodies will be consulted. This normally takes about three weeks.

Once the plans have been checked, it may also be necessary for you or your agent to supply further details or information before compliance can be achieved and amended plans submitted if necessary.

Although some applicants do prepare the plans/drawings themselves, most will employ an architect or designer to do this for them who will then liaise with the local authority on your behalf and take most of the worry off your shoulders.

Once your plans have been approved for compliance, as long as the building construction is in accordance with them, there should be no nasty surprises ahead, though the odd niggling problem might occur which could not have been foreseen.

Please note: If you commence work before approval has been given, you must be aware this is at your own risk, as any contravention will be required to be rectified (see site inspections).

 Full Planning Application Form  


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Building Notice Application A Building Notice can only be submitted for domestic work and although fully detailed building plans do not have to be submitted with the application, the Local Authority can still ask for plans or calculations to clarify complex parts of the works. For a Building Notice application you will need to submit a completed form, a site plan (if an extension is to be built) and the relevant fee.

The total fee for this type of application is payable in one instalment, at the time of application and is the same as the plan fee and inspection fee added together, if you had used the Full Plans application procedure.

Once you have submitted your application, you wait only 48 hours and can then start the work, (see site inspections)

 Building Notice Application Form


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Demolition

If you intend to demolish a building, or part of a building then in most cases, you must notify the Borough Council before doing so. The Borough Council may then impose requirements on the way the demolition work is carried out. These may include:

• to shore up any building adjacent to the building to which the notice relates,

• to weatherproof any surfaces of an adjacent building that are exposed by the demolition,

• to repair and make good any damage to an adjacent building caused by the demolition or by the negligent act or omission of any person engaged in it,

• to remove material or rubbish resulting from the demolition and clearance of the site,

• to disconnect and seal, at such points as the local authority may reasonably require, any sewer or drain in or under the building,

• to remove any such sewer or drain, and seal any sewer or drain with which the sewer or drain to be removed is connected,

• to make good to the satisfaction of the local authority the surface of the ground disturbed by anything done under paragraph (e) or (f) above,

• to make arrangements with the relevant statutory undertakers for the disconnection of the supply of gas, electricity and water to the building,

• to make such arrangements with regard to the burning of structures or materials on the site as may be reasonably required-

(i) if the building is or forms part of special premises*, by the Health and   Safety Executive and the fire authority, and (ii) in any other case, by the fire authority, and

• to take such steps relating to the conditions subject to which the demolition is to be undertaken, and the condition in which the site is to be left on completion of the demolition, as the local authority may consider reasonably necessary for the protection of the public and the preservation of public amenity.

Please note that you must not start demolition until you have:

• (a) Notified the Great Yarmouth Borough Council of your intentions -   Intention to carry out demolition work form

• (b) Received a notice back from the Borough Council of any requirements we have in your case. You should notify us of your intentions as early as possible so that work is not unnecessarily delayed.

If you intend to carry out demolition works, and are unsure if notification will be required in your particular case, please contact us for advice. Please note that if you intend to demolish a dwelling, you may also need to obtain planning consent before doing so. If demolition works are being carried out near you and are causing problems, please contact us and we will investigate.

 Form for Intention to carry out demolition

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Regularisation

Sometimes work is completed without our knowledge and requires retrospective approval. We will do all we can to help you, but will need to submit a Regularisation Notice and pay the appropriate fee. We will then inspect the property and let you know if anything needs to be done for a regularisation certificate to be issued. Some parts may need to be opened up for inspection and we will advise you. It is important to note that this procedure does not replace the enforcement powers available to the Local Authority and must not be used as a shortcut instead of the correct procedure. An application for a certificate can relate only to completed work and can only be made where the work commenced after 11 November 1985 the work came within the scope of the Regulations, and no application was made at the time. An application for a Regularisation Certificate should be made on the appropriate form available from the Building Control section.

 Regularisation Application Form

It should be accompanied by the following information:

• a plan of the unauthorised works and structural calculations (if necessary)

• the appropriate fee

In order to assess whether compliance with Building Regulations has been achieved, the Council can ask the applicant to "open up" work. The extent of this will depend on the type of work carried out. Issue of Certificate Before a certificate can be issued the Council must be reasonably satisfied that the works conform to the Building Regulations and that there is no risk to the health and safety of persons in or around the property. The Council may then say whether additional works are required to meet Building Regulation standards, or issue a Certificate indicating that the unauthorised works are in compliance with the Building Regulations standards. If the additional works are undertaken, and an inspection made revealing the work to be satisfactory then a Regularisation Certificate can be issued


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Building Regulation Charges 2010-2011

A charge is payable when you send a Building Regulation application to the Council. The amount of charge payable depends on the work which is to be carried out.

• In most cases when a Full Plans application is made fees are paid in two stages. A plan charge is paid when the plans are deposited for checking and an invoice for the inspection charge is sent after the work has commenced.

• With a Building Notice application the total fee is payable on deposit.

• No charges are payable in certain cases where the work consists solely of the provision of facilities for a disabled person.

A guidance note for schedule of charges is available here in pdf format:
From 1st January 2011 the rate for VAT increases to 20%. See the new fee guidance notes:

 Domestic Fee guidance 2010-11 (20% vat)

 Commercial Fee guidance 2010-11 (20% vat)

Please note that the charges may be different for multiple jobs or repetitive work so if you have any queries or the guidance note does not appear to cover the work you wish to carry out, please contact us for advice

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