The Building Regulations
A housebuilder/developer client became concerned that proposed changes to the Building Regulations, to bring them in line with emerging Eurocodes, could have a major building cost impact. The change proposed was to extend the requirements of progressive collapse, intended for high rise buildings, to traditional bricks and mortar buildings, five storeys and under. Rush partner, Jonathan Rush, worked closely with the client to produce a convincing case, including comprehensive cost estimates, and commenced a programme of lobbying key ministers and advisers in the ODPM, Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. The key messages were that the proposed change was not justified on safety grounds, was costly, would threaten the government’s own PPG3 strategy, and might be perceived as unnecessary EU regulation. The ODPM has reworded the proposed changes to the Building Regulations which, in effect, retain the existing exemption for low storey homes.
| 
