The building warrant search procedure ensures that the service delivered from Building Standards is consistent. The process covers the following areas:
- a search to establish what building warrants consents have been submitted/determined on a site
- viewing building warrants
- copy of building warrants
- requests for plans
- additional plans
Search building warrants determined on a site
The Building Standards Register is available for members of the public to carry out their own free search for application numbers and details.
However, where the applicant makes a written request using a building warrant application form and submits the appropriate fee for a search to be carried out, the following applies.
Where building warrant number is not known, the technical administrator for Building Standards will carry out the search in accordance with the search charges. Full search of registers from 1975 to present day will be carried out and the applicant will be provided with a response detailing the outcome of the building warrant search.
Viewing building warrants
Where the applicant provides a copy of the building warrant application number(s).
On receipt of a verbal request to view a historic building warrant and/or completion certificate and the application number is provided the technical administrator must ensure that the person making the request completes an application form for Residential BSP18 Form (PDF 103 KB) or Non Residential BSP18 Form (PDF 95 KB) buildings to view information held in part two of the Building Standards Register.
The technical administrator shall record a search request in uniform. Building warrants can only be viewed by an “interested party” defined as “the current (or prospective) owner, occupier or tenant” having completed the BSP18 Form. All requests must be cleared with a team leader.
Where the request is valid the building warrant(s) is/are retrieved from filing system by technical administrator.
Copy of building warrants
If a search is requested to find the relevant consents, the fee as per the charges on the Building Standards: Other fees and services is applicable.
The Building Standards search carried out is relevant to a single property address. Where searches are requested for multiple property addresses the fee may be multiplied by the number of properties that the applicant wishes searches to be carried out on. This will be referred to the team leader or technical support manager who shall review the circumstances and decide on an appropriate fee.
For every application/warrant consent to be copied, charges apply for each service as noted below.
Building Standards building warrant/completion certificate (no plan) is only available to:
- applicant
- agent
- owner
- interested party
Requests for copy of architectural plans or technical reports
Under the copyright legislation copies of the drawings or other technical reports cannot be passed on to a third party without the written consent from the architect. Where the application was submitted by a third party who had not registered as an architect or agent the ownership of the drawing lies with the original applicant and their written permission is required to copy the drawings.
Up to five individual plans larger than A3 Additional copies (over five). Only available to owner or other interested party with written consent of the architect provided under copyright legislation. Where the architect is no longer practising then the legal ownership of the plans will revert to the building owner.
Where copies of plans are requested under Section D a charge will apply as detailed within the Building Standards: Other fees and services.
Additional copies of architectural plans
Where additional copies of architectural drawings beyond five are requested then these will be charged as outlined in the Building Standards: Other fees and services per copy and subject to the copyright laws noted above.
Please note: Where circumstances identify minor amendments to the above procedure any deviations must be agreed by the team leader.