The Building Regulations etc. (amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2022 took effect in Wales on 23 November 2022, together with new Approved Documents L, F and O1. The amendment regulations were made on 20 May 2022 and came into force on that November date, subject to transitional provisions1. The Welsh Government circular WGC 003/2022, issued on 24 May 2022, set out the changes and the notices of approval and withdrawal1.
The amendments cover energy efficiency, ventilation and overheating1. They provide for new ways of measuring energy efficiency using new performance metrics, change the way on-site electricity generation systems are regulated, introduce regulation on overheating mitigation, and make provision about ventilation standards where work to which Part L applies1. The circular states that the amendment regulations and the new Approved Documents apply only to buildings and building work in Wales1.
"The amendments for 2022 cover energy efficiency, ventilation and overheating and will take effect on 23/11/2022."
Three documents were approved with effect from 23 November 2022, and two earlier documents were withdrawn on the same date with no transitional arrangements1.
| Approved Document | Status | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| Approved Document F, Ventilation, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2022 edition | Approved | 23 November 2022 |
| Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2022 edition | Approved | 23 November 2022 |
| Approved Document O, Overheating, 2022 edition | Approved | 23 November 2022 |
| Approved Document L1A, 2014 edition, new dwellings | Withdrawn | 23 November 2022 |
| Approved Document L1B, 2014 edition, existing dwellings | Withdrawn | 23 November 2022 |
Source: GOV.WALES, circular WGC 003/20221
The regulations also place new duties on those carrying out work. The person carrying out building work must provide the owner with information about systems for on-site generation of electricity, and give sufficient information about provisions made under Part O on overheating1. A new requirement obliges confirmation with a local authority that a system for on-site electricity generation has been commissioned1. Mechanical ventilation air flow rate testing is required on existing dwellings undergoing notifiable building work for the provision or extension of a fixed mechanical ventilation system1. Where Part L work is undertaken, ventilation must comply with the standard in Part F of Schedule 1 or be no worse than before the Part L works1.
Why it matters for households
For a household in Wales, the changes bear on how a home is assessed for energy performance, how any electricity it generates on site is regulated and recorded, and how ventilation and summer overheating are addressed in building work. The new performance metrics change the basis on which energy efficiency is measured, and the on-site generation provisions attach information and commissioning duties to systems installed at a property. The overheating requirements introduce a formal route for mitigation, and the ventilation provisions link air flow standards to Part L work. The regulation-policy hub carries the wider framework, and the position differs by nation: Building Regulations in England, Building Regulations in Wales, Scottish Building Standards and Building Regulations in Northern Ireland each set their own rules.
What happens next
The transitional arrangements allow building work on an individual building to remain under the previous provisions where the work has already commenced, or is started within 12 months of the regulations coming into force1. Where a site covers several buildings, only those individual buildings for which work is commenced can use the transitional provisions1. The approval of the new Approved Documents does not apply to work for which a building notice or initial notice has been given, or full plans deposited, before 23 November 2022, provided work commences before 23 November 20231.