Building Standards – What we do.

The building standards system in Scotland

The building standards system in Scotland is established by the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.  The system is intended to ensure that building work on both new and existing buildings results in buildings that meet reasonable standards. The standards are set out in the building regulations, which are, in the terms of the Act, intended to:

• secure the health, safety, welfare and convenience of persons in or about buildings and of others who may be affected by buildings or matters connected with buildings;
• further the conservation of fuel and power; and
• further the achievement of sustainable development.

The purpose of the building standards system is to protect the public interest. It is not intended to provide protection to a client in a contract with a builder. The building standards system sets out the standards to be met when building work or a conversion takes place, to the extent necessary to meet the building regulations.

The system is pre-emptive, designed to check that the proposed building work meets the standards. Inspections during construction and on completion are to protect the public interest in terms of compliance with the building regulations and to discourage avoidance of the legislation.

The Building Standards team undertake assessment and approval of building warrant applications, inspection of work on site and consideration of completion certificate submissions when work is complete. The inspections do not provide a system to control work onsite. That is a matter for the contracts and arrangements put in place between the client and builder.

Building Standards also carry out a range of enforcement activities relating to unauthorised works and defective and dangerous buildings.

Dangerous Buildings

Building owners are responsible for preventing their buildings falling into a dangerous condition. The powers given to local authorities by the Act do not diminish this responsibility but are merely a ‘safety net’ that must be used to protect the public when it appears to a local authority that, for whatever reason, a building owner has failed in their duty to fulfil this responsibility.

The powers available to the local authority can be applied to any structure that meets the definition of building within the Act.  Thus, for example, these powers can be used on a building that has not been subject to the building regulations or the building warrant process (such buildings are detailed in schedules 1 and 3 of the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004) if that building has fallen into a dangerous state.

To report a dangerous building during office hours please call 01851 822692. Outside of normal business hours please call 01851 600501