The Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (WGC 007/2026)

Date issued: 22 July 2026

Status: For information

Title: The Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2026

Issued by: Kevin Davies, Building Control Competence and Standards Manager

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 the making of regulations that correct technical issues and omissions in building regulations and associated regulations.

For further information contact:
Building Regulations Team
Welsh Government Offices
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1UZ  

Direct line: 0300 062 5223
E-mail: enquiries.brconstruction@gov.wales
Website: Building and planning | Topic | GOV.WALES

1. I am directed by the Welsh Ministers to draw your attention to the changes introduced by the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2026 which come into force on 20 July 2026.
    
2. The purpose of this Circular is to draw attention to the new secondary legislation and introduce the changes it brings.
    
3. These Regulations make corrections to typographical errors and omissions in the following regulations:

• the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010, 
• the Building Regulations 2010, 
• the Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024, 
• the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024,
• the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025, and 
• the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025.

4. Some of the measures were reported by the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee following the making of the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025 and the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025. Other amendments address omissions in relation to local authority charging schemes. 

5. This circular applies to all stakeholders involved building work in Wales, including:

• Designers, contractors, and people who have building work carried out (clients)
• Local authorities
• Registered building control approvers
• Fire safety enforcing authorities
• The sewerage undertaker

6. It outlines the key provisions introduced by the Regulations.

Regulation 2: Amendments to the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010

7. This regulation amends the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010. It updates provisions relating to plan charges and inspection charges so that they apply not only to applications under the Building Regulations 2010 but also to applications made under the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025. 
    
8. The regulation also makes amendments to ensure that the timing and validity of applications appropriately reflect the requirement for payment of charges.
    
9. In addition, minor amendments are made to remove outdated terminology and ensure consistency with other recent changes to the building control framework in Wales.

Regulation 3: Amendments to the Building Regulations 2010

10. This regulation makes a series of amendments to the Building Regulations 2010. These include corrections to terminology, removal of references to “working” days that were not required, and minor drafting adjustments to improve clarity and consistency. 
     
11. The amendments also correct cross-references within the Building Regulations 2010 and update certain provisions to ensure alignment with recent legislative changes to the building control regime. 
     
12. Additional changes include minor substitutions of wording to ensure consistency of language across the Building Regulations 2010 and to clarify the intended operation of particular provisions. 
     
13. Overall, the amendments are technical in nature and are intended to ensure that the Building Regulations 2010 operate as intended within the updated legislative framework.

Regulation 4: Amendment to the Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024

14. This regulation amends regulation 3 of the Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024. It corrects a reference in the restricted function related to the determination of completion certificate applications under the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025. 
     
15. This amendment ensures that the Building (Restricted Activities and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024 accurately reflects the scope of functions intended to be restricted within the building control regime.

Regulation 5: Amendments to the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024

16. This regulation makes a number of amendments to the Building (Registered Building Control Approvers etc.) (Wales) Regulations 2024. It inserts additional definitions into regulation 2 to ensure that key terms used across the building control framework are defined consistently, including terms derived from the Building Act 1984. 
     
17. Further amendments correct terminology, update references to the Building Act 1984, and make minor drafting changes to improve clarity and consistency. This includes amendments to forms and schedules to ensure that wording is consistent with recent amendments to related legislation and reflects updated terminology. 
     
18. Overall, these amendments are technical in nature to ensure consistency of drafting across building regulations.

Regulation 6: Amendments to the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025

19. This regulation amends the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025. It corrects references to the Building Act 1984 and moves interpretative provisions for Part 4 of those Regulations, including definitions of key terms such as “building notice”, “plans”, and “initial notice”, to their own regulation to improve legibility.
     
20. The amendments are technical in nature and are intended to improve clarity and consistency with other legislation. 

Regulation 7: Amendments to the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025

21. This regulation makes a range of amendments to the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025.
     
22. It adds and amends definitions in regulation 2, including the amending the definition of “applicant” and moving the definition of “fire safety information”, to clarify their scope and application within the Regulations, without changing their intended meaning.
     
23. Minor amendments are made throughout the Regulations to correct drafting errors, including the insertion or removal of wording, correction of cross-references, and amendments to Welsh language text where necessary. Overall, the amendments are technical in nature and are intended improve clarity and consistency with other legislation.

24. The full Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment is available on the Senedd Website. Stakeholders are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the new requirements and prepare for implementation.
     
25. These Regulations meet the criteria for the Free Issue Procedure and so will be issued free of charge to anyone who has purchased a hard copy of the King’s Printer for Wales version of  the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2025,the Building etc. (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2025 or the Building etc. (Amendment) Wales Regulations 2026.

Any enquiries on this Circular Letter should be addressed to:

Mark Tambini
Building Regulations
Welsh Government
Rhydycar
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1UZ

E mail: enquiries.brconstruction@gov.wales 

Yours faithfully,

Mark Tambini 
Head of Building Regulations Policy