Latest - Building standards

External wall systems in existing multi-storey residential buildings - fire risk: advice note - version 2

Version 2.0 of this Scottish Advice Note provides advice for those responsible for fire safety in residential buildings including building owners/managers/residents groups responsible for determining the fire risk posed by external wall systems on existing multi-storey residential buildings.

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 16 December 2022

Changes to legislation and guidance for December 2022: letter to local authority verifiers

Guidance to local authority verifiers on changes to legislation and guidance in force from 1 December 2022.

Type: Correspondence
Date: 05 July 2022

Changes to legislation and guidance for June 2022: letter to local authority verifiers

Guidance to local authority verifiers on changes to legislation and guidance in force from 1 June 2022.

Type: Correspondence
Date: 05 July 2022

Building standards technical handbook 2022: non-domestic

Guidance on achieving the standards set in the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004. This handbook applies to a building warrant submitted on or after 1 June 2022 and to building work which does not require a warrant commenced from that date.

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 01 June 2022

Building standards technical handbook 2022: domestic

Provides guidance on achieving the standards set in the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004. This handbook applies to a building warrant submitted on or after 1 June 2022 and to building work which does not require a warrant commenced from that date.

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 01 June 2022

Working together to fix cladding issues

Single Building Assessment programme expanded.

Type: News
Date: 12 May 2022 15:00

Building regulations – compliance and enforcement: consultation analysis

Analysis of the building regulations compliance and enforcement consultation which ran between 11 November 2021 and 9 February 2022.

Type: Consultation analysis
Date: 09 May 2022

Ban on combustible cladding

Materials barred from high-risk buildings over 11 metres.

Type: News
Date: 22 April 2022 07:48

Fire and smoke alarms: changes to the law

The law on fire alarms has changed which means all Scottish homes will need to have interlinked alarms. Guidance on what you need to know.

Type: Factsheet
Date: 15 February 2022

Fire alarm funding increased

Extra £500,000 to support most vulnerable.

Type: News
Date: 30 January 2022 11:00

Building standards - (fire safety) external wall systems: consultation analysis

An analysis of the responses to the public consultation on a review of building standards relating to the fire safety of external wall systems to help ensure the safety of people in and around Scotland’s buildings.

Type: Consultation analysis
Date: 17 January 2022

Making our homes cleaner and greener

Scotland’s heat in buildings strategy published.

Type: News
Date: 07 October 2021 15:15

External wall systems in existing multi-storey residential buildings - fire risk: advice note

This Scottish Advice Note (SAN) provides advice for those responsible for fire safety in residential buildings including building owners/managers/residents groups responsible for determining the fire risk posed by external wall systems on existing multi-storey residential buildings. It will also be of interest to fire risk assessors and specialist external wall appraisal experts.

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 04 August 2021

Building standards (fire safety) - external wall systems: consultation

This consultation seeks views on a ban of the highest risk cladding materials on new buildings and to give further consideration to façade system testing. Any changes will be introduced through amendments to building regulations and supporting guidance in Section 2: fire of the technical handbooks.

Type: Consultation paper
Date: 16 July 2021

Building standards - verification service: customer experience evaluation - future model

This research identified and proposed a preferred model which the Scottish Government (Building Standards Division) could use to deliver the national customer survey for building standards.

Type: Research and analysis
Date: 28 May 2021

Building standards - verifiers: self-assessment tool - April 2021

Self-assessment tool aimed at supporting verifiers in evaluating their approach to continuous improvement to meet their obligations under the Building Standards Operating Framework 2021.

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 24 May 2021

Building standards - verifiers: professional competency framework

The professional framework introduces a national methodology for assessing competence with defined entry points to show a clear career progression path for those considering a career in building standards.

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 10 May 2021

Tackling cladding issues

Free safety assessments for homeowners.

Type: News
Date: 19 March 2021 12:01

A new standard for housing

Ensuring equal quality of homes.

Type: News
Date: 14 March 2021 00:01

Multi‑storey residential buildings - fire risk posed by external wall systems: consultation analysis

An independent analysis of consultation responses to the Draft Scottish Advice Note (SAN): Determining the fire risk posed by external wall systems in existing multi-storey residential buildings.

Type: Consultation analysis
Date: 11 February 2021

Fire safety regime for existing high rise domestic buildings - review: Fairer Scotland Duty summary

Fairer Scotland Assessment for the Review of Fire Safety that was agreed by the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety in December 2018 and the recommendations delivered in 2019 to 2020.

Type: Impact assessment
Date: 15 January 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19): addendum to guidance on duration of building warrant - letter from Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning

Letter from the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Kevin Stewart MSP to local authorities giving additional guidance on the duration of building warrants (extending the validity and determination of application – refusal and deemed refusals) as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Type: Correspondence
Date: 07 August 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): building standards - special measures to enable the erection of temporary buildings for the recovery and renew phase: letter to local authorities

Letter from the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Kevin Stewart MSP about special measures to enable the erection of temporary buildings for the recovery and renew phase of COVID-19.

Type: Correspondence
Date: 14 July 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): building standards - special measures to enable the erection of temporary care assistance buildings: letter to local authorities

Letter from the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Kevin Stewart MSP about special measures to enable the erection of temporary care assistance buildings as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Type: Correspondence
Date: 30 March 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): building standards - special measures to enable the occupation of new buildings: letter to local authorities

Letter from the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Kevin Stewart MSP about guidance on building standards compliance and enforcement relating to special measures to enable the occupation of new buildings as a result of the COVID-19.

Type: Correspondence
Date: 30 March 2020

Maintaining Scotland’s tenements

Changes to legislation considered.

Type: News
Date: 20 December 2019 10:32

Construction phase handbook

Guidance for contracting authorities on the construction phase of a built asset project

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 29 November 2019

National Planning Framework 3: monitoring report

Progress of the 30 key actions and 14 national developments listed in the third National Planning Framework.

Type: Progress report
Date: 04 October 2019

Making homes safer

£13 million to improve safety standards in social housing.

Type: News
Date: 22 September 2019 00:01

Building standards: procedural handbook (third edition, version 1.6)

Clarifies procedures underpinning the Scottish building standards system as set out in the Building (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 and the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 to help with practical operation.

Type: Advice and guidance
Date: 20 September 2019

Strengthening fire safety and building standards

Improvements in fire safety and better facilities for people with disabilities.

Type: News
Date: 12 July 2019 11:05

Strengthening fire safety for high rise domestic buildings: consultation

Consultation on guidance for fire safety and information for people responsible and residents of high rise buildings. This consultation is now closed.

Type: Consultation paper
Date: 24 April 2019

Centralized hub for verification of complex fire engineered solutions in Scotland: feasibility study

Independent opinion on the need, appropriateness, potential structure and potential operations of a central hub for assisting in the verification of complex fire engineered designs.

Type: Independent report
Date: 21 March 2019

Changing Places toilets consultation: easy read version

Consultation document on how we can change building regulations so that Changing Places toilets have to be part of new or changed buildings.

Type: Consultation paper
Date: 04 March 2019

Changing Places toilets in new buildings: EQIA

Equality impact assessment (EQIA) of proposals to revise building regulations to require provision of Changing Places toilets in certain types of new buildings.

Type: Impact assessment
Date: 18 February 2019

Changing Places toilets: building standards consultation

Changing Places toilets offer larger, supported facilities that address the needs of people for whom current accessible sanitary accommodation is inadequate.

Type: Consultation paper
Date: 18 February 2019