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Legislation

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Welcome to the BSRIA Legislation Service. Here, we offer updates on the latest building and building services legislation, news, and guidance.

Search for discussion, articles, Standards and papers supporting legislation and regulations - by keyword or title or browse by building services area. Do you need help looking for legislation and standards? Call or email: information@bsria.co.uk or telephone +44(0)1344 465 571

Legislation and News Monitor

BSRIA monitors select regulations, policy, guidance and related news in construction, building design and building services in the United Kingdom.

Source data courtesy of Lexis Nexis, Government and industry-related resources. This list was last updated on 30/11/2022.


Regulations | View all >>

  • SI 2022/984. Building etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2022. This Regulation is in relation to the proposed installation of of “gigabit-ready physical infrastructure” in all newly built homes and a connection to a “gigabit-capable public electronic communications network.” This Regulation was laid on 23rd September 2022 and due to come into force on 26th December 2022
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/draft Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
    These draft Regulations are proposed to amend 18 pieces of UK secondary legislation and three pieces of retained direct EU legislation in relation to product safety and metrology. They come into force at 11 pm on 31 December 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/712 Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations have been drawn up under the Building Safety Act 2022, in connection with Brexit. They amend two pieces of UK secondary legislation in relation to construction. They come into force on 20 July 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/draft: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations impose duties on landlords of residential premises in respect of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, including those who provide social housing. This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 11th May 2022 and will come into force on 1st October 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/547 Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. These Regulations amend the duties of the responsible person/s for building safety as outlined in the 'Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (“the Fire Safety Order”). Amongst the changes are responsibilities for more signage, provision of instructions, equipment testing, more information provision about fire doors and closer communications with fire authorities. This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 18th May 2022 and will come into force on 23rd January 2023.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/592 The Green Gas Support Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2022. These Regulations amend the Green Gas Support Scheme Regulations 2021 (“the 2021 Regulations”), which established the Green Gas Support Scheme (“the GGSS”).

    The GGSS is a renewable heat incentive scheme to facilitate and encourage the production of biomethane by anaerobic digestion, for injection into the gas grid. The Regulation was laid before Parliament on the 27th May 2022 and is due to come into force on 1st July 2022
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/draft The Construction Contracts (England) Exclusion Order 2022. The Order excludes construction contracts which are ‘for the delivery of a direct procurement for customers project’ from Part II of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.
    https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/xqWzvKiq/

  • SI 2022/467  Emissions Performance Standard (Amendment) Regulations 2022
    These Regulations amend the Emissions Performance Standard Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”) (S.I. 2015/933) to update certain definitions that apply in respect of the monitoring and enforcement of the emissions performance standard in England. This regulation was laid before Parliament on 25th April 2022 and is due to come into force on 17th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • SSI 2022/136 The Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022. These new Regulations ban developers from using combustible cladding on high-rise domestic and other high-risk buildings over 11 metres as well as from using highest risk metal composite cladding in any new buildings of any height. This regulation was introduced on 14th March, laid before Parliament on 22nd March 2022 and came into force on 4th April 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/217 Non-Domestic Rating (Definition of Domestic Property) (England) Order 2022. This Regulation was laid before Parliament on 8th March 2022 and came into force on 4th April 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/278  Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2022. This regulation was introduced on 14th March and came into force on 4th April 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/383 Flood Reinsurance (Amendment) Regulations 2022. The Regulation came into force on 1 April 2022
    Read more here

  • SSI 2022/78 C.6 The Prescription (Scotland) Act 2018 (Commencement, Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022
    The Scottish Government has published a statutory instrument bringing the Prescription (Scotland) Act 2018 (P(S)A 2018) into force. P(S)A 2018, s 5, which concerns the starting point of the prescriptive period for obligations to pay damages, and P(S)A 2018, s 13, regarding restrictions on contracting out, will come into force on 1 June 2022. The other provisions will take effect on 28 February 2025.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/draft Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) Regulations 2022. This draft Regulation was laid before Parliament on 24th February 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/159 Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme and Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
    The Regulation was laid before Parliament on 1st February 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2022/draft Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2022. The Regulation was laid before Parliament on 31st January 2022.
    Read more here

  • SI 2021/draft The Climate Change Act 2008 (Credit Limit) Order 2021
    This Order sets a limit on the net amount of carbon units that may be credited to the net UK carbon account for the 2023-2027 budgetary period of 55,000,000 carbon units.  This Order was made on 13th May 2021. Read more here

  • SI 2021/561 The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Auctioning (Amendment) Regulations 2021
    These Regulations amend the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Auctioning Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/484), which provide for the auctioning of allowances created for the purposes of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, to clarify the criteria applicable to representatives of those eligible to apply to bid for allowances under those Regulations and to correct a number of other minor errors. This Order was made on 10th May 2021 and came into force on 19th May 2021. Read more here

  • SI 2021/543 Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021. These Regulations make amendments to legislation in the field of fluorinated greenhouse gases. The Order was introduced on 4th May 2021 and came into force on 25th May 2021. Read more here

  • SI 2021/386 Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Order
    This Order amends the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (“the GPDO”). Read more here

  • SI/2021/428 The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2021
    This Order amends, primarily, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (“the GPDO”).
    The Amendment came into force on 21st April, 2021. Read more here

  • SI 2021/254 The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2021
    This Order amends the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (“the GPDO”). The Amendment came into force on 29th March, 2021. Read more here

  • SI 2021/13 The Stamp Duty Land Tax (Administration) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. The Regulations amend Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Administration) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2837) to provide a new SDLT 1 form in connection with land transactions for the purposes of stamp duty land tax. This was created on 6th January 2021 and due to come into force on Ist April 2021. Read more here

  • SI 2020/1265 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020. Provisions have been made to establish a UK-wide greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme (ETS) to encourage cost-effective emissions reductions which will contribute to the UK’s emissions reduction targets and net zero goal. This was created on 11th November, 2020.  Read more here

Legislation (Bill or Act)  View all Bills>> | View all Acts>>

  • 21/06/22
    Bills: Carbon Emissions (Buildings) Bill. 
    A Private Member's Bill, requiring the whole-life carbon emissions of buildings to be reported; to set limits on embodied carbon emissions in the construction of buildings; and for connected purposes. This Bill had its first reading on 20th June 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bills: Climate and Ecology Bill. 
    This Private Member's Bill had its first reading on 25th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bills: Healthy Homes Bill
    This Bill makes provision for the delivery of healthy homes and neighbourhoods; to set out the principles that define a “healthy home”; to establish the office of the Healthy Homes Commissioner; and for connected purposes. The Bill received its first reading on 26th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Domestic Premises (Electrical Safety Certificate) Bill. A Private Member's Bill requiring an electrical safety certificate to be provided to a prospective purchaser of domestic premises in specified circumstances. The first reading was on 24th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill.This Bill had its first reading on 11th May 2022 and its second reading is due on 8th June 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill. A Private Member's Bill on establishing clean air as a human right and mandating the UK Government to address the issues of air quality in England and Wales. The first reading was on 19th May and the second one is due on 24th June 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Air Pollution (Local Authority Audits) Bill
    A Private Members' Bill to make provision for local authorities to conduct annual audits of air pollution in their area and associated emissions by public and private entities. This Bill had its first reading on 2nd February 2022 and is due its second reading on 6th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Building Safety Bill. This Bill finally reached the stage of Royal Assent (27th April 2022) in the House of Lords and became an Act of Parliament on 28th April 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill.  A Bill to amend the Mobile Homes Act 1983. This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented for its first reading to Parliament on Wednesday 16th June 2021. The second reading is now scheduled on 6th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Flooding (Prevention and Insurance) Bill. The Bill was presented for its first reading to Parliament on 16th November 2021. The second reading is now scheduled on 6th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Bill: Air Pollution (Local Authority Audits) Bill. This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented for its first reading to Parliament on Wednesday 2 February 2022. The second reading is now scheduled on 6th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Act: Environment Act 2021
    Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the Bill it received Royal Assent on 9 November 2021. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law)
    Read more here

  • Bill: Healthy Homes Bill 2021
    This Bill had its first reading in the Lords on 17th March 2022. The purpose of the Bill is to outline the targets, plans and policies for the delivery of healthy homes and neighbourhoods, and to establish the office of the healthy homes commissioner and to make provisions for local housing needs.
    Read more here (PDF)
    Lexis Nexis analyses the changes that were made to the Bill in the House of Lords, and at what further steps the Bill must undergo before it is enacted. Read more here (PDF)


  • Bill: Environment Bill 2021
    A Bill to make provision about targets, plans and policies for improving the natural environment; for statements and reports about environmental protection; for the Office for Environmental Protection; about waste and resource efficiency; about air quality; for the recall of products that fail to meet environmental standards; about water; about nature and biodiversity; for conservation covenants; about the regulation of chemicals; and for connected purposes. The Bill had its first reading on the 26th May 2021 and is due its second reading on the 2nd June 2021. Read more here

  • Act: Fire Safety Act 2021 
    This Act makes provision about the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises; and to confer power to amend that order in the future for the purposes of changing the premises to which it applies. It comes into force partly on 29 April 2021, on 29 June 2021, and fully on such day as the Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument appoint. Read more here

  • Act: European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020. 
    The official Act, formalising the trade agreement and future relationship between the EU and the UK was passed on December 31st, 2020. This Act makes provision to implement the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and associated agreements, and further provision in connection with the UK’s future relationship with the EU and its Member States, as well as related provision on specific matters concerning trade and security, including provisions on criminal records, passenger name record data, evidence and extradition, customs, tax, social security, and privileges and immunities, and for connected purposes. It comes into force partly on 30 December 2020, and comes into force fully on such day as a Minister of the Crown may by regulations appoint. Different days may be appointed for different purposes. Read more here\

  • Act: The Coronavirus Act
    This came into law on 25th March 2020, enabling many provisions to allow business, including the building planning sector and related industries, to operate effectively. For example, use of photographic evidence instead of site visits and use virtual planning committees for building control decisions have been approved. Read more here

  • Bill: New Homes (New Development Standards)
    A Bill to require residential developers to meet minimum standards of provision for insulation, broadband connectivity and electric car charging points in new homes; and for connected purposes. Originally a Private Members Bill in June 2020. It is now awaiting a second reading in the current session (2021).
    Read more here

  • Bill: Net Zero Carbon Emissions (Audit)
    A Bill to make provision for an independent audit of the costs and benefits of meeting the requirement under the Climate Change Act 2008 for net United Kingdom carbon emissions to be zero by 2050; and for connected purposes. Originally a Private Members Bill in February 2020.  It is now awaiting a second reading in the current session  (2021).
    Read more here 

Consultations  | View all >> 

  • Consultation: Hydrogen Business Model and Net Zero Hydrogen Fund: market engagement on electrolytic allocation. The Consultation runs from 8th April until 6th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Consultation: The UK Government (DEFRA) is seeking views on its planned revision to the statutory local air quality management policy guidance (LAQM).  The Consultation runs from 28th March until 6th June 2022.
    Read more here

  • Consultation: Developing the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). The Consultation runs from 25th March 2022 to 17th June 2022.
    Read more here

  • Consultation: UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment 4 (OESEA4).  The Consultation runs from 17th March 2022 to 27th May 2022.
    Read more here

  • Consultation: A UK Government Consultation seeking views on a revised version of the Building Bulletin 100 design guide for fire safety in schools. The Consultation opened on 27th May and continues until 17th August 2021.
    Read more here

  • Consultation: The UK Government announce the Consultation on the Future Building Standard on 21st January 2021.  This Consultation is the second stage of a 2-part consultation on proposed changes to Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations.  It also sets out proposals for a Future Buildings Standard, which provides a pathway to highly efficient non-domestic buildings which are zero carbon ready. Read more here

  • Consultation: Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS): digestate managementIn April 2020, the 'Future support for low carbon heat' Consultation set out proposals for a new Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) to increase the proportion of green gas in the grid, through support for biomethane injection by the process of anaerobic digestion (AD).In this consultation, 2 mitigations are proposed against ammonia emissions from digestate, a by-product of AD, for the GGSS scheme participants. The Consultation runs from 21st December 2020 to 15th January 2021. Read more here

  • Consultation: The Green Building Council

    A Consultation on the guidance for procuring renewable energy and carbon offsets. As part of its development of a Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework, UKGBC has drafted further guidance on renewable energy procurement and carbon offsetting for businesses in an effort to ensure that the framework is used consistently and aligns with best practice. The draft guidance looks mainly at renewable energy procurement for electricity, heating and domestic hot water, carbon offsetting and carbon accounting.  The Consultation ran between 27th October - 17 November 2020. Read more here

Guidance  | View all>>

  • The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published guidance to support the delivery of social value across built environment projects, listing eight practical steps to allow built environment practitioners to do so.
    Read more here 

  • The National Building Specification (NBS) has published its ‘Sustainable Futures Survey’, which polled 608 construction professionals to understand sustainability attitudes and protocols within the construction sector.
    Read more about the NBS Report here
    Read the CIC news article here

  • The UK Government (BEIS) has published new guidance on the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). Subjects covered in this guidance include the supply of allowances in the UK ETS in the scheme’s initial phases. It also provides information on the functioning of the auctions and secondary market, free allocation, and the ETS Authority’s market stability mechanisms.
    Read more here
     
  • The British Refrigeration Association (BRA) has announced the release of an updated guide on the Jointing of Pipework for Refrigeration Systems. This latest issue is the sixth version of the guide and the first update since the 2014 edition.
    Read more here

  • The Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) has published a new Guidance note for the occupations of Design and Applications Engineer as part of its series of roadmaps setting out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required in key occupations.
    Read more here

  • The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has released a new Technical Guide to add to its portfolio of online Guides available to download. The new guide, entitled “Selection of Control Valves”, is intended to provide a better understanding of the complex topic of control valves in HVAC systems.
    Read more here

  • The Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) has released guidance on speeding up flood recovery and property flood resilience on 8th January 2021. Property flood resilience (PFR) is an important part of the response to flood risk. PFR includes measures that reduce the risks to people and property enabling households and businesses to reduce flood damage, speed up recovery and reoccupation. PFR measures should reduce the amount of water entering buildings (known as resistance measures), or limit the damage caused if water does enter a building (known as recoverability measures). Read more here

  • The NEC has launched a new NEC4 Facilities Management Contract (FMC) and NEC4 Facilities Management Subcontract specifically for ‘procuring facilities management services', on  8th January 2021.  The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) has supported NEC with the production of the contracts in order to identify the best practice in the sector as well as to signify the way forward. Read more here

  • Onward publishes its latest research report, 'Getting to zero' on 5th January 2021, which marks the launch of a major Government cross-party programme of research  to understand the political and practical challenges to achieving net zero by 2050, and to develop policies to help people and places who may be disrupted in the transition. Read more here

  • The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has released a new report entitled ‘Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront: Coordinated action for the building and construction sector to tackle embodied carbon’, which sets out how cross-sector collaboration can help the construction sector reach its net-zero goal and how to mitigate embodied carbon emissions. The report is part of WorldGBC’s Advancing Net Zero strategy and is produced in partnership with European Climate Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, C40 Cities and Ramboll. Read more here

Policy and strategy  |  View all>>

  • The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has issued further guidance for Building Control Bodies in relation to operation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Guidance was [published on 21st April 2020 and covers new/temporary healthcare buildings and related facilities, as well as general guidance for operating during the current period. The changes are designed to enable essential building work to be carried out quickly, ‘without undue administrative burden’, while maintaining essential health and safety requirements. Read more here