Amendments to legislation: amendments consequential to the Building Safety Act 2022 and corrections (WGC 004/2026)

Circular number: WGC 004/2026

Date issued: 4 March 2026

Status: For information

Title: Amendments to legislation - amendments consequential to the Building Safety Act 2022 and corrections

Issued by: Simon Jones – Building Safety/Building Regulations Policy

Addressed to: 

Local Authority Chief Executives
Welsh Local Government Association 
Local Authority Building Control
Association of Building Control Approvers

Please forward to:

Local Authority Building Control Officers
Members of the Senedd

Summary: 

The purpose of this Circular is to draw attention to regulations that make amendments to existing legislation to update them in line with the reform of building control processes and correct errors in recent legislation.

For further information contact:

Building Regulations Team
Welsh Government Offices
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ  

Direct line: 0300 060 4400
E-mail: enquiries.brconstruction@gov.wales
Website: building and planning 

1. I am directed by the Welsh Ministers to draw your attention to the changes introduced by:

• the Building Safety Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 and, 
• the Building Act 1984 (Amendment of Commencement Order No. 1) and Building Safety Act 2022 (Amendment of Commencement Regulations No. 6) (Wales) Regulations 2026.

2. The Regulations apply to Wales.

3. The Consequential Amendments Regulations make amendments consequential to procedural change introduced by the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025 and the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025.
    
4. In particular, the replacement of the process of depositing plans with local authorities with applications for building control approval, and new building control procedures that only apply to higher-risk building work.
    
5. These Regulations are not intended to alter the existing effect of any of the legislation they amend, only to update them to be in-line with changes introduced by the Welsh Government’s continued implementation of the Building Safety Act 2022.
    
6. These Regulations amend the following pieces of legislation:

• The County of South Glamorgan Act 1976
• The Highways Act 1980
• The Clwyd County Council Act 1985
• The West Glamorgan Act 1987
• The Dyfed Act 1987
• The Mid Glamorgan County Act 1987
• The Clean Air Act 1993
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• The Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010
• The Building Safety Act 2022 (Commencement No. 4, Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2024
• The Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024

7. The Consequential Amendments Regulations come into force on 1 July 2026.

8. The Commencement Correction Regulations make amendments to correct an error in both the Building Act 1984 (Commencement No. 1) (Wales) Order 2025 and the Building Safety Act 2022 (Commencement No. 6) (Wales) Regulations 2025.
    
9. The Welsh text of these statutory instruments has been corrected to insert the coming into force date “1 Gorffennaf 2026” (1 July 2026).
    
10. It should be noted that the English text of these statutory instruments had the correct coming into force date of 1 July 2026 when they were made.
     
11. The Commencement Correction Regulations came into force on 31 January 2026.

12. The Consequential Amendments Regulations do not apply to any notices given to, or plans deposited with, local authorities before 1 July 2026.

13. Stakeholders are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the changes being introduced.
     
14. The Regulations can be accessed here: The Building Safety Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026
     
15. The Explanatory Memoranda for the regulations are available on the Senedd Website: Explanatory Memorandum to the Building Safety Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026
     
16. Information about the changes introduced by the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025 and the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025 can be found in the following Circulars: The Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025 and related regulation (WGC 001/2026) and The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025 and related regulations (WGC 002/2026)

Any enquiries on this Circular Letter should be addressed to:

Building Regulations Team
Welsh Government Offices
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ  

E mail: enquiries.brconstruction@gov.wales 
Direct line: 0300 060 4400

Yours faithfully,
Mark Tambini 
Head of Building Regulations Policy