Building standards - Futures Board Programme: workstream information

Compliance plan approach workstream 

Purpose and approach

Building Standards Division (BSD) is developing a new approach to compliance for the building standards system in Scotland designed to: 

• minimise the risk of completed buildings failing to comply with the building regulations and approved building warrant plans 
• improve procedural compliance to support the delivery of safer buildings and lawful occupation of buildings 
• support the relevant person (typically the building owner or developer) in managing on site work to ensure compliance with building regulations, approved building warrant plans, and in providing the necessary supporting evidence
• ensure that planned local authority verification inspections, checks and required evidence within the approved building warrant compliance plan are fully achieved 

The new compliance plan approach (CPA) will define and implement, initially through guidance and later through legislation, a robust building warrant compliance assurance regime. 

Its purpose is to demonstrate that the duty placed on the “relevant person”, to manage on site work and certify compliance with building regulations (by signing and submitting a completion certificate to the verifier), is carried out robustly throughout design and construction.

Progress

The CPA has been trialled and further developed through its use on the Dunfermline Learning Campus and has supported the introduction of an early adopters (EA) scheme in March 2024, currently covering four projects. 

Insights from these trials have informed the development of the first two national guidance documents for High Risk Buildings (HRBs), as Phase 1 of the CPA. These documents will be used instead of the current verification during construction (VDC) for applicable HRB projects. 

The VDC guidance will continue to apply to all other building work. 

Guidance 

The new CP guidance is intended to give local authority verifiers and industry the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the strengthened approach ahead of legislative changes. It covers: 

• the pre-warrant application stage
• the processes involved in developing a compliance plan (CP) 
• use of the CP for verification purposes, and 
• requirements for recording information and evidence to support reasonable inquiry by the verifier at completion certificate stage

Guidance is being issued in two phases: 

• 5 January 2026 – new guidance for verifiers was published to replace VDC guidance for defined HRBs. Verifiers are expected to use this guidance from 1 April 2026. Background and implementation information was published
• spring 2026 (pending election) – full CPA guidance for HRBs will be developed for voluntary adoption by industry and to inform future legislative change. A formal implementation date remains under consideration and subject to sector discussions

Projects in scope 

HRBs include major works to create or alter any of the following: 

• domestic or residential buildings higher than 11 metres 
• educational, community, or sport buildings 
• non-domestic public buildings under local authority control 
• hospitals 
• residential care buildings 

Major works are defined in terms of their impacts on life safety. Factors include: 

• complexity 
• scale 
• value of works 
• escape routes 
• vulnerable occupants 
• cladding alterations or new installations

The final decision on whether or not a building warrant proposal constitutes major works for the purposes of the CPA rests with the relevant local authority building standards verifier.