View building regulation applications
Viewing applications
You can look up building regulation applications using Council's online building control system.
There is also a help page that explains how to use the system.
By using the system, you are agreeing to its terms and conditions.
You should be able to view applications from 1 January 1995 onwards.
Important: you can only see basic details online. Documents such as plans and drawings are not available to view on the system.
What information is available
The online system provides basic details about building regulation applications.
This is because, unlike planning applications, building control records are not fully public
Full documents (like plans or approvals):
- are only available to the building owner or their authorised agent
- are shared at the Council's discretion.
The records are treated as confidential, so they are not usually released under Freedom of Information laws.
Also, the Council only has to keep building regulation records for 15 years, so older information may not be available.
Why some information is restricted
Under government rules (The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014):
- supporting documents for applications are confidential
- they are not available to view online.
However, the system will show:
- decisions (approved, rejected, accepted)
- key dates
- property addresses.
These decisions are based on:
- the Building Act 1984
- the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended)
- the information submitted with the application.
Viewing older (historical) files
Applications from 1 January 1983 to 31 December 1994 have limited information available online.
These applications use a different (historical) reference number, which you can use to search for them.
Example:
- Online reference: 94/00102/BN7
- Historical reference: 94/7/00020
Requesting more detailed information
If you need information that isn't available online, you can request it by submitting a Building Control Research Request in writing.
Include as much detail as possible:
- >property or site address
- application reference number(s), including historical ones if known
- what information you are looking for.
There is a £82 fee (including VAT) for this service.
Important note:
The Council does not hold records for work carried out under
- the Competent Persons Scheme
- Approved Inspectors.
